07.11.25

Women Leaders of Producer Companies Train to Strengthen Forest-Based Enterprises at IIM Sirmaur, Himachal Pradesh

Women leaders from producer companies (PCs) in remote forest regions of Himachal Pradesh took a major step towards building stronger, sustainable enterprises during a three-day Management Development Programme (MDP) held at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Sirmaur, from 3 to 5 November 2025.

Titled ‘Strengthening Eco-Social Enterprises’, the programme brought together around 20 women shareholders including Board of Directors, promoters, and members, from the Pangi and Udaipur Jungle Producer Companies (JPCs). Organised by the Initiative on the Forest Economy (IoFE) in partnership with IIM Sirmaur, the training aimed to deepen leadership capacities, strengthen business competencies, and support sustainable enterprise development in forest-dependent communities.

Building Women-Owned, Inclusive Forest Enterprises

A central focus of the programme was strengthening women-owned PCs and promoting inclusive governance within the forest economy. Participants were introduced to the IoFE model, which works to aggregate and market seasonal forest products (SFPs) at scale. The approach addresses long-standing market barriers that prevent collectors, particularly women, from accessing direct industry linkages and fair prices.

Discussions also explored the deep interconnections between forests, poverty, and women’s livelihoods, highlighting why formalising local forest economies is critical or both sustainable resource use and economic empowerment.

Learning from Experts and Field Experience

Faculty members from IIM Sirmaur led interactive sessions that combined academic perspectives with grounded field insights. The programme covered themes such as rural governance, community institutions, organisational leadership, and human resource management in PCs.

A session drawing on field experience from the implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, commonly known as the Forest Rights Act (FRA), in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, offered participants practical perspectives on forest governance and community mobilisation. IIM students also engaged actively with participants, creating a meaningful exchange between classroom learning and the lived realities of building enterprises in remote forest regions.

Practical Skills for Managing and Scaling PCs

Alongside conceptual discussions, the programme emphasised hands-on enterprise skills. Participants worked through practical aspects of managing and scaling JPCs, including business models, financial management, pricing, and profit-sharing mechanisms. A team-based business planning exercise enabled women leaders to apply these concepts to enterprise ideas tailored to their local contexts.

Learning Across Regions Through Experience Sharing

Peer learning formed an important part of the programme. Leaders from Pangi JPC shared their experience of selling wild Indian hazelnuts, offering insights into procurement, pricing, and market negotiation. Members of Udaipur JPC reflected on operational challenges and opportunities for improving their enterprise systems. Experiences from Odisha were also shared to illustrate models of SFP aggregation and women-owned enterprise development in tribal regions.

The programme concluded with reflections on key lessons and future capacity-building needs. Participants expressed a shared commitment to improving financial management, strengthening team coordination, expanding market integration, and building environmentally sustainable business models.

With continued institutional support from IoFE and IIM Sirmaur, the training marked an important step towards equipping women entrepreneurs from remote forest regions with the knowledge, leadership, and confidence needed to grow resilient forest-based enterprises.