Marking a significant milestone, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry’s women’s wing, FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO), launched its 21st chapter in Vijayawada on 12 June 2025. To commemorate this launch, FLO Vijayawada is set to host its debut event in Visakhapatnam on 2 July 2025 at The Crown, WelcomHotel Devee Grandbay by ITC Hotels.
The event will feature a special conversation between FLO Vijayawada Chairperson Amrita Kumar and the renowned Bharatanatyam dancer Radhe Jaggi, daughter of spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev.
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New Chapter, New Leadership
The newly formed Vijayawada chapter aims to further FLO’s mission of nurturing women’s leadership, entrepreneurship, skill-building, and capacity development across the region. The executive committee for the 2025-26 term comprises Amrita Kumar as the Chairperson, Supriya Mallineni as Senior Vice-Chairperson, Rajini Chitra as Vice-Chairperson, Suma Bindu Atluri as Secretary, Deepthi Chalasani as Joint Secretary, Tulaja Bhavani Devineni as Treasurer and Anila Narla as Joint Treasurer.
The chapter launch saw participation from several prominent personalities. Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha addressed the gathering virtually, while Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath (Chinni) and Margadarsi Chit Funds and Kalanjali’s Managing Director Sailaja Kiron attended as guests of honour.
Sailaja Kiron, in her keynote, spoke on the essential values for business success: “No one is born a leader; leadership must be cultivated. In business, success is rooted in trust, ethics, accountability, and integrity.” She emphasised that honesty, punctuality, and value-based leadership form the foundation for long-lasting impact: “Businessmen and women who work towards shaping the dreams of others achieve timeless success.”
National President of FICCI FLO Poonam Sharma elaborated on the organisation’s broader vision: “Our goal is to take women from the grassroots to the classroom, and from there to the boardroom. We will support them in their marketing and leadership journeys.” Past president Anjana Somany, Executive Director Rashmi Sarita, and governing body members Padma Rajagopal, Sunitee Abbi, Shoba Jolly, Deepti Raman, Ruby Garg, Namrata Mishra, Mourya Boda, and Usha Rani Manne were also in attendance, alongside women entrepreneurs from diverse sectors.
In a heartwarming gesture, 15 bicycles were donated to girl students from Seva Bharati’s free tuition centres in Vijayawada during the launch event. The donation was sponsored by FLO member Silpa Boyapati in honour of her father-in-law, Boyapati Apparao, the founder of SRK College.
Additionally, an exhibition celebrating Andhra Pradesh’s artisans and textiles was held as part of the launch. It featured exquisite displays of Punduru cotton, Kalamkari from Srikalahasti, Narayanpet and Venkatgiri weaves, along with handcrafted traditional jewellery.
About FICCI FLO
Founded in 1983, FLO operates under FICCI as a national platform for women entrepreneurs, professionals, and corporate leaders. Headquartered in New Delhi, the organisation now has 21 chapters and over 14,000 members nationwide.
Through training programs, seminars, international delegations, workshops, and initiatives focused on economic inclusion and leadership, FLO has played a key role in empowering women across various sectors by giving them meaningful opportunities.
With the Vijayawada chapter of FICCI FLO now active and its first event on the horizon in Visakhapatnam, FLO reaffirms its commitment to advancing women-led progress in Andhra Pradesh and beyond.
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