Archana Bhatnagar

Union Territory President, Madhya Pradesh Council

Mrs. Archana Bhatnagar is a distinguished first-generation entrepreneur, sustainability advocate, and women’s empowerment leader with over four decades of entrepreneurial experience marked by both success and resilience. She currently serves as Managing Director of Haylide Chemicals Pvt. Ltd., President of the Madhya Pradesh Association of Women Entrepreneurs (MAWE), State President – WICCI Madhya Pradesh Council, and Chairperson of the Institute Management Committee (IMC) for the Model Industrial Technical Institute, Government of Madhya Pradesh. She is also a Member of the Advisory Board to the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh on Industrial Promotion and Investment (DIPI) and an India Influencer with the Commonwealth Business Women Network (CBWN), London.

A passionate changemaker, Mrs. Bhatnagar is widely respected for pioneering green chemistry solutions in India while simultaneously empowering women through entrepreneurship. Her journey began with less than ₹500 and a one-year-old child, and today her enterprises support hundreds of families. She has successfully established three manufacturing businesses, overcoming significant social, financial, and institutional barriers at a time when women entrepreneurs were rare—especially in small-town India.

Her flagship enterprise, Haylide Chemicals Pvt. Ltd., specializes in professional green cleaning and sanitizing products and is the first Indian SME to receive the prestigious “GREEN PRO” certification for its products. Designed to meet the most stringent international environmental standards, Haylide’s solutions are used in green buildings, five-star hotel chains, hospitals, airports, Indian Railways, professional laundries, and are also exported internationally. Through Haylide, Mrs. Bhatnagar actively contributes to environmental sustainability and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). (www.haylide.com)

Beyond business, Mrs. Bhatnagar is deeply committed to building an inclusive ecosystem for women-led MSMEs. As the Founding President of MAWE, established in 2000, she has dedicated over 23 years to mentoring and hand-holding women entrepreneurs—helping them transition from micro and small enterprises to scalable and sustainable businesses. MAWE focuses on addressing three critical challenges faced by women entrepreneurs: access to finance, markets, and technology, through workshops, trade fairs, policy advocacy, global exposure visits, and international networking platforms. Initiatives such as SWEEP, organized even in tier-2 cities like Jabalpur and Bhopal, have provided women entrepreneurs with global visibility, B2B opportunities, and access to international markets.

Mrs. Bhatnagar’s leadership and advocacy have earned her invitations to speak at some of the world’s most prestigious platforms, including the United Nations General Assembly (New York), World Trade Organization (Geneva), CHOGM – Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (London), World Bank Institute (Washington DC), OECD, WE Connect International (USA), International Trade Centre (ITC), and numerous global forums across Europe, the MENA region, and Asia. Her talks focus on Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), gender-responsive policies, sustainability, green business, and MSME development.

Her contributions have been recognized with numerous national and international honors, including Woman Entrepreneur of the Year – India (2022) at the Global 50 Women Awards in Dubai, India Today – Outstanding Woman Entrepreneur, Ministry of MSME, Government of India – Emerging Woman Entrepreneur, WE Connect International – Commitment to Women’s Economic Empowerment, Women Economic Forum – Exceptional Woman of Excellence, and awards for social impact from leading foundations.

Widely featured across national television and print media, Mrs. Archana Bhatnagar is admired for her powerful storytelling, strategic insight, and unwavering belief that empowering a woman strengthens families, communities, and society at large. A role model to thousands, she continues to inspire globally by sharing her journey of perseverance, ethical leadership, and the conviction that even at the lowest point, one can rise and soar to the top.