UNDP-Supported ALEAP “Aarohi Childcare Centre” Inaugurated to Strengthen Women’s Workforce Participation

In a significant step towards strengthening women’s participation in the workforce and promoting an inclusive urban care ecosystem, the Association of Lady Entrepreneurs of India (ALEAP) inaugurated the UNDP-supported ALEAP Aarohi Childcare Centre at ALEAP Industrial Estate, Pragathi Nagar, Hyderabad, on the occasion of International Women’s Day 2026.

The childcare centre was inaugurated by Ms. Angela Lusigi, Resident Representative, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) – India, in the presence of distinguished dignitaries from government, industry, development institutions, and the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The initiative forms part of the project titled “Boosting Female Labour Force Participation through Strengthened Urban Care Ecosystem”, supported by UNDP, which aims to address one of the key barriers faced by working women—access to safe, reliable, and affordable childcare facilities near the workplace.

A Transformational Initiative for Women Workforce

The ALEAP Aarohi Childcare Centre has been designed as a workplace-based childcare facility to support women working in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and industries located in and around the ALEAP Industrial Estate.

The centre aims to provide a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment for children, enabling mothers and working parents to pursue employment or entrepreneurship with greater peace of mind and confidence.

The facility will cater primarily to children of working women entrepreneurs, employees of MSMEs, and workers in the industrial estate, thereby contributing to:

• Increased female labour force participation

• Improved work-life balance for women workers

• Enhanced productivity in MSME units

• Strengthening of the urban care economy

The childcare centre has been designed with child safety, early childhood development, and inclusive care practices at its core. The centre includes child-friendly learning spaces, safe indoor play areas, age-appropriate educational materials, and trained caregivers to ensure holistic development of children.

A Model for Workplace-Based Childcare

Speaking at the inauguration, Ms. Angela Lusigi, Resident Representative, UNDP India, emphasized the importance of investing in care infrastructure to unlock women’s economic potential. She highlighted that childcare support is a critical enabler for women’s economic participation, and initiatives like the ALEAP Aarohi Childcare Centre demonstrate how partnerships between development institutions and industry associations can create sustainable and scalable solutions. This initiative is expected to serve as a model for similar workplace-based childcare centres across industrial clusters, contributing to a broader policy dialogue on strengthening the care economy in India.

ALEAP’s Commitment to Women’s Economic Empowerment

Welcoming the dignitaries and participants, Smt. Rama Devi Kanneganti, President of ALEAP and CEO of AIC ALEAP WE HUB, reiterated ALEAP’s long-standing commitment to empowering women entrepreneurs and supporting women’s economic participation. She noted that while significant progress has been made in promoting women entrepreneurship, care responsibilities often limit women’s ability to participate fully in economic activities. The establishment of the ALEAP Aarohi Childcare Centre reflects ALEAP’s commitment to building an enabling ecosystem for women entrepreneurs and working women by addressing practical challenges such as childcare access. ALEAP has already developed the dedicated civil infrastructure for the childcare facility within the industrial estate, demonstrating its institutional commitment to the initiative.

Technical Partnership for Quality Early Childhood Care

To ensure quality standards in early childhood education and care, ALEAP has partnered with Ms. Sloka Chalasani, Founder of Ivy Blooms Preschool, Kondapur, under Pedagojee Educational Initiatives, as the Technical Partner for the Aarohi Childcare Centre. Under this partnership, Ms. Sloka Chalasani and her team will provide technical guidance and operational support in establishing and managing the childcare centre in line with best practices in early childhood development.

Her responsibilities include:

• Designing age-appropriate learning and activity-based curriculum

• Training and mentoring caregivers and staff of the childcare centre

• Establishing child-friendly learning environments and safety protocols

• Introducing Montessori-inspired and play-based learning approaches

• Ensuring holistic development through structured activities, creative learning, and life-skill building

• Providing ongoing advisory support and quality monitoring

Ms. Sloka Chalasani leads Pedagojee Educational Initiatives, which has been working in the early childhood education sector for the past several years. Under this initiative, she established Ivy Blooms Preschool, which currently operates successful branches in Kondapur and Beeramguda, offering nurturing and development-focused early learning environments for young children.

Through this technical collaboration, the ALEAP Aarohi Childcare Centre will integrate structured early childhood development practices with safe childcare services, ensuring that children receive both care and early learning support.

International Women’s Day Celebrations

The inauguration of the childcare centre was part of the International Women’s Day 2026 celebrations organized by ALEAP under the theme “Give to Gain”, highlighting the importance of collaboration, shared responsibility, and inclusive growth.

The event brought together leaders from government, industry, entrepreneurship, and development institutions to discuss strategies for advancing women-led development and sustainable enterprises. During the programme, several distinguished speakers delivered thematic and special addresses focusing on women’s economic empowerment, entrepreneurship, and inclusive growth. Dr. Murthy Devarabhotla, Global President of The Diplomatic Club, delivered a thematic address on “Building Global Bridges: Strategic Collaborations for Women-Led Enterprises through Diplomatic and Institutional Partnerships.” Entrepreneur and sustainability advocate Ms. Roopa Maganti, Founder of Greentatwa Agri Tech LLP, spoke on “Building Sustainable Enterprises for Community and Environmental Impact.”

Government and Institutional Support

Senior government officials also addressed the gathering and emphasized the importance of strengthening the ecosystem for women-led enterprises. Sri Kuchipudi Madhukar Babu, Joint Director, Commissionerate of Industries, Government of Telangana, spoke about creating an enabling ecosystem for women entrepreneurs, highlighting the state’s initiatives to support MSMEs and women-led enterprises. Smt. Divya Devarajan, IAS, Chief Executive Officer, Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP), Government of Telangana, highlighted the role of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and women collectives in driving inclusive economic growth and connecting rural women entrepreneurs to national and global markets.

Recognition of Women Achievers

As part of the celebrations, ALEAP also felicitated several women entrepreneurs, innovators, and social leaders who have made significant contributions in their respective fields.

Awards and recognitions were presented to women achievers in categories including:

• Women Entrepreneurship

• Village-Level Entrepreneurship

• Social Entrepreneurship

• Education and Innovation

• Startup Leadership

The event also recognized individuals and organizations contributing to innovation, skill development, and entrepreneurship promotion.

Curtain Raiser of the Childcare Centre Initiative

A special Curtain Raiser session on the UNDP-supported ALEAP Aarohi Childcare Centre highlighted the objectives, design, and long-term vision of the initiative. The session emphasized how care infrastructure plays a vital role in economic development, particularly in supporting women entrepreneurs, workers, and employees in MSME sectors.

Strengthening Partnerships for Inclusive Growth

The event concluded with a call for stronger partnerships between government institutions, development organizations, industry bodies, and entrepreneurs to promote inclusive growth and women-led development. The ALEAP Aarohi Childcare Centre represents an important milestone in demonstrating how collaborative action can create practical solutions to systemic challenges faced by working women. The initiative is expected to contribute to improved livelihoods, enhanced workforce participation, and a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem for women.

About ALEAP

The Association of Lady Entrepreneurs of India (ALEAP) is a premier organization dedicated to promoting women entrepreneurship and economic empowerment. Established in 1993, registered under Section 8 of Companies Act as not-for-profit, ALEAP has been instrumental in supporting thousands of women entrepreneurs through training, incubation, industrial infrastructure, skill development, and policy advocacy.

ALEAP has guided over 2.5 lakh women and facilitated livelihood and entrepreneurship opportunities for more than 50,000 women across sectors. Through initiatives like the UNDP-supported ALEAP Aarohi Childcare Centre, ALEAP continues to work towards building an inclusive and enabling ecosystem for women entrepreneurs and workers.