Bloomberg and UBS Expand “Girls Take Wall Street” to India with “Girls Take Dalal Street” and “Girls Take GIFT City”

Bloomberg and UBS today launched “Girls Take Dalal Street” in Mumbai, to attract and inspire young women to consider careers in the financial services industry in India. Expanding on “Girls Take Wall Street“, launched in March 2019, the initiative is part of an effort by Bloomberg and UBS to strengthen their commitment to advancing women and girls in business and finance. On Monday, October 21, “Girls Take GIFT City” will bring this initiative to the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City, India’s first operational smart city.

More than 90 young women from colleges across Mumbai and Pune visited the Bombay Stock Exchange, where they heard from senior finance executives at career panels and speed networking sessions, on the variety of roles in the finance industry and what it takes to succeed. Employee mentors from the two firms and Bloomberg Women’s Buyside Network met the girls to share their career journeys, and answered questions about opportunities available in their fields. At the end of the day, the young women rang the closing bell and took a photo with the BSE Big Bull.

Next week, 50 young women from colleges in Ahmedabad will participate in an event at GIFT City with sessions on financial data and news, panel discussions, and mentoring around career options and interview tips. The participants will have the opportunity to tour GIFT City, India’s first international financial service center, smart city and special economic zone developed as a greenfield development.

“As India grows, it is of paramount importance to improve gender balance at workplaces, especially in the financial services sector,” said Ashlesh Gosain, Head of South Asia, Bloomberg LP. “The business case for gender diversity is acknowledged globally, with more and more research showing that gender diverse companies achieve better risk adjusted returns. Initiatives such as “Girls Take” aim to showcase female role models and provide unique access to young women, which we hope will ultimately advance women in business and finance.”

“Globally, the financial services industry is becoming increasingly diverse and inclusive. At UBS, we have long sought to improve gender balance in the workforce and enable women employees to have sustained and fruitful careers with us,” said Harald Egger, UBS Country Head, India. “We are committed to supporting initiatives that not only encourage more women to choose careers in finance but that also promotes the financial literacy that will invariably underpin their financial independence.”

“Today, we can see an improved representation of women leaders in the financial services industry. The urge to be financially independent and make the right investment choices are beckoning women to stock markets,” said Mr. Ashishkumar Chauhan, MD & CEO of the Bombay Stock Exchange. “We have a powerful and ambitious generation of female millennials who are eager to test new waters and take up challenges in stride. This global initiative by Bloomberg and UBS to help young women understand the variety of exciting roles that exist in the finance industry is sure to attract and inspire them towards the financial services industry for rewarding and fulfilling careers.”

“GIFT City is emerging as India’s global financial and technology hub. Gender balance and diversity across our members and employees is crucial for its eventual success. Even as the proportion of women in India’s financial services industry is expected to rise, there is still lot that could be further achieved. We are pleased to partner with Bloomberg and UBS to showcase opportunities that GIFT City has to offer to young women in the field of international finance. This is a significant step towards creating a diverse and more inclusive workforce.”

Bloomberg and UBS have worked to address opportunities for young women in finance in a number of ways. Bloomberg’s philanthropic programs allow employees to develop their skills and expertise by applying them to help local nonprofits, small businesses, and students around the world. Bloomberg Startup, the company’s global education engagement program covering 41 cities, works to inspire the next generation by providing targeted support for academic achievement and career success. UBS Community Affairs helps unlock economic and social mobility that comes with academic and career success. We drive change through strategic financial investments in education and entrepreneurship and through our employee volunteer initiatives. In 2018, more than 25,000 employees globally volunteers to strengthen local communities and make an impact. Through the UBS Optimus Foundation and UBS’s Corporate Social Responsibility efforts, we have contributed over $30 million towards improving the welfare of children and youth in India and pioneered innovative vehicles such as development impact bonds in the country.

About Bloomberg
Bloomberg, the global business and financial information and news leader, gives influential decision makers a critical edge by connecting them to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas. The company’s strength – delivering data, news and analytics through innovative technology, quickly and accurately – is at the core of the Bloomberg Terminal. Bloomberg’s enterprise solutions build on the company’s core strength: leveraging technology to allow customers to access, integrate, distribute and manage data and information across organizations more efficiently and effectively. Corporate Philanthropy at Bloomberg works to harness the expertise of our employees and the resources of our business to strengthen communities and create lasting impact in the cities where we live and work. For more information, visit www.bloomberg.com or request a demo.

About UBS
UBS provides financial advice and solutions to wealthy, institutional and corporate clients worldwide, as well as private clients in Switzerland. UBS’s strategy is centered on our leading global wealth management business and our premier universal bank in Switzerland, enhanced by Asset Management and the Investment Bank. The bank focuses on businesses that have a strong competitive position in their targeted markets, are capital efficient, and have an attractive long-term structural growth or profitability outlook.

About BSE
BSE (formerly Bombay Stock Exchange) established in 1875, is Asia’s first & now the world’s fastest Stock Exchange with a speed of 6 microseconds. BSE is India’s leading exchange group and has played a prominent role in developing the Indian capital market. BSE is a corporatized and demutualised entity, with a broad shareholder base that includes the leading global exchange- Deutsche Bourse, as a strategic partner. BSE provides an efficient and transparent market for trading in equity, debt instruments, equity derivatives, currency derivatives, commodity derivatives, interest rate derivatives, mutual funds and stock lending and borrowing.

About GIFT City
Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT) a Government of Gujarat Project in partnership with IL&FS is developing India’s First Global Financial Hub. GIFT is India’s first multi-service SEZ with International Financial Service Centre (IFSC) status which is catering to India’s large financial services market by offering global firms, world-class infrastructure and facilities. It is attracting the top talent in the country by providing the finest quality of life. It is estimated that GIFT would provide 500,000 direct and an equal number of indirect jobs which would require 62 million square feet of office and residential space. Like other leading global financial centres, GIFT will target a 6-8% share of the financial services potential in India. Currently 15 mn sq ft of BUA has been allotted to various developers and institutions for development of office space, residential and social facilities, out of which 2 mn sq ft is operational and 3 mn sq ft is under construction. Approximately 200 institutions/units are currently operational at GIFT City employing ~8500 people and is expected to exceed 10,000 by end of the year.