Kalpana Soren to Represent Jharkhand Women at WEF Davos

Jharkhand is set to engage with global leaders at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos and during its official visit to the United Kingdom, highlighting the State’s initiatives in women’s leadership, gender equity, and inclusive development. Kalpana Murmu Soren, Chairperson of the Women and Child Development Committee of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly and MLA from Gandey, will represent the State across several high-level international platforms. A prominent tribal women leader, Kalpana Soren will bring to the global stage the experiences and aspirations of women from Adivasi, rural, and economically marginalized communities, groups central to Jharkhand’s ongoing economic and social transformation.

At Davos, she will participate in multiple policy dialogues, leadership forums, and international events, including the Women Political Leaders Forum, the BRICS Panel on Women’s Empowerment, the ET Women Empowerment Dialogue, and the We Lead platform by the Alliance for Global Good, alongside official engagements at the India Pavilion. Kalpana Soren will present Jharkhand’s approach to women’s development, which focuses not just on symbolic representation but on economic agency and institutional empowerment. Over 35 lakh women in Jharkhand are organized into more than 2.8 lakh Self-Help Groups (SHGs) through the Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society, with rural credit linkages exceeding Rs 5,000 crore in recent years. These women now work as farmers, entrepreneurs, bankers, artisans, and producers, contributing actively to value chains across the State.

Flagship initiatives such as Lakhpati Didi, PALASH, JOHAR, JHIMDI (micro-drip irrigation), Adiva, and Ajivika Cafés have helped tens of thousands of women earn over ₹1 lakh annually, creating a women-led rural economy. Under the PALASH brand, Jharkhand products are reaching organised retail and global markets, with projected turnover of Rs 45 crore by 2026. Additionally, under the Maiyaan Samman Yojana, lakhs of women receive an honorarium totaling ₹17,000 crore annually, empowering young women and strengthening livelihoods across the State.

Following the Davos meetings, Kalpana Soren will participate in the United Kingdom leg of the visit, engaging in roundtable discussions on education, skilling, climate finance, cultural heritage, and meetings with UK government officials, Marang Gomke Scholars, and the Indian diaspora. These interactions highlight India–UK collaboration on inclusive growth, women’s leadership, and institutional capacity-building.