Jakarta, 2 March 2026 – Virginie de Chassey, Chief Sustainability and External Affairs Officer at Eramet Group, met face-to-face with women enterpreneurs participating in the LAKSMI program, reaffirming the company’s commitment to grassroots economic empowerment in Indonesia.
The visit brought Virginie directly into conversation with ultra-micro business owners from Jakarta, women running small enterprises in industries ranging from fashion to food and beverages, who are part of the collaborations of Eramet Indonesia with YCAB Foundation.
“Beyond women, there are families, there are communities. And that’s where the real power is,” Virginie said during the engagement, a statement that framed the broader philosophy behind Eramet Group’s investment in the initiative.
The remark proved particularly resonant as participants shared their firsthand accounts of building businesses from the ground up. Chairani, 42, spoke of mastering digital marketing to grow her fashion brand, Ourtwiko, while Nastia Ambangi, 38, described how LAKSMI helped transform her home-based kombucha venture, Crystia Kombucha, from a side project into a growing business.
For Eramet Indonesia, the visit signals more than goodwill. With operations in Indonesia through its nickel mining activities, the company has positioned community development, particularly women’s economic inclusion, as one of a core pillar of its sustainability agenda. LAKSMI, whose name stands for Langkah Aksi Kapasitas Sosial Mikro untuk Inklusi, is one of the concrete expressions of that commitment.
The program supports women in ultra-micro and small businesses with training in financial management, marketing, and digital skills, building capacity at the community level with the aim of driving broader regional economic growth.
