Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, at the launch of the Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan on his 75th birthday, said, “If the mother stays healthy, then the whole house stays well. If a mother falls ill, the entire family’s system crumbles”. This recognition — that women’s well-being is the foundation of our national progress — is at the heart of India’s development journey.

Women are not just participants in this journey, they are its drivers. Across labs, clinical wards, farms, and biotech startups, silent yet powerful achievements are shaping our future. Consider the 10 lakh Asha workers who form the backbone of India’s primary health care system, often the first responders during outbreaks. Or the women scientists at the Indian Council of Medical Research, National Institute of Virology, and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) who, in 2020, helped isolate SARS-CoV2, the Covid-19 virus — paving the way for India’s indigenous vaccines that led to over two billion vaccinations undertaken through the world’s largest immunisation drive.

Over 60% of female workers in India work in agriculture, many now trained in deploying biotech-based solutions for........

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