‘Empowering Women Entrepreneurs in India’s Tier 2/3/4 Cities: BITS Pilani and Aditya Birla Capital Foundation Collaborate with NITI Aayog’s Women Entrepreneurship Platform’

Mumbai-based BITS Pilani’s technology business incubator, Pilani Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Society (PIEDS), is collaborating with the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP), an initiative of NITI Aayog, to introduce the start-up program ‘Womenpreneurs for Bharat 1.0’. This joint effort is backed by the Aditya Birla Capital Foundation, the CSR arm of Aditya Birla Capital Limited. The foundation, led by Mrs. Rajashree Birla as the mentor and Mrs. Vishakha Mulye, Dr. Pragnya Ram, and Mr. Subhro Bhaduri as Directors on its Board, plays a crucial role in guiding the strategic direction of all of Aditya Birla Capital’s development projects.

The announcement of this partnership was made during the state workshop on ‘Enabling Women-Led Development through Entrepreneurship’ at Dorjee Khandu State Convention Center, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh. The workshop, organized under the aegis of the State Support Mission of NITI Aayog, was a joint effort by the Government of Arunachal Pradesh and the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) to convene key stakeholders across business, government, and civil society to discuss and explore ways to advance women-led development through entrepreneurship.

The ‘Womenpreneurs for Bharat 1.0’ initiative aims to provide funding and incubation support to women entrepreneurs who are developing solutions for and from Tier 2/3/4 cities in the Northeast region, Rajasthan, Haryana, and J&K. The program will cater to both for-profit and non-profit women-led start-ups working across UN-SDG areas, addressing business or societal challenges in those regions.

Mrs. Vishakha Mulye, Director of Aditya Birla Capital Foundation and CEO of Aditya Birla Capital Limited, expressed, “Through ‘Womenpreneurs for Bharat 1.0’, we aim to provide a platform to nurture the growth of women entrepreneurs in the country, who have the potential of impacting a large number of underserved Indians through innovative solutions.” This showcases the dedication to promoting fair and comprehensive social and economic development in India.

Prof. V. Ramgopal Rao, Vice-Chancellor of BITS Pilani, conveyed his belief that localized solutions from local entrepreneurs are vital for addressing the diversity of India. He also emphasized the potential of women innovators, particularly from Northeastern states, in spearheading the next wave of innovations to solve their region’s unique problems.

Discussing the program, Ms. Anna Roy, Mission Director of WEP, underscored the strategic approach of the initiative in bolstering women’s entrepreneurship in the tech4good sector, aligning with national goals of gender equality, women-led development, and digital inclusion.

The ‘Womenpreneurs for Bharat 1.0’ program will offer funding of up to Rs. 10 lakhs to eligible start-ups, coupled with extended incubation support from PIEDS, including 1-1 mentoring, market access support, and opportunities to secure future investments. Interested innovators can apply to the program through the provided link.

In line with these initiatives, a research report published by Niti Aayog revealed that India currently has 63 million micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), out of which approximately 20% are women-owned, employing 22 to 27 million people. By furthering women’s entrepreneurship, India has the potential to create over 30 million women-owned enterprises, leading to the creation of 150 to 170 million jobs.

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