In over a month, software engineer-turned-entrepreneur Shilpa K. will be on the cusp of an unprecedented expansion of her small seven-year-old business.
Currently, nearly 20 employees work out of a 1,100 sq. ft workspace churning out sugar confectioneries that are sold across India and even exported. She expects a turnover of over ₹1 crore this quarter. By the end of the year, she will have the opportunity to set up a full-fledged factory spanning an acre at the women’s tech park in Harohalli — the largest such park in the country aimed primarily at women entrepreneurs.
“When I heard about it (through the Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Karnataka), I thought this was a blessing. Since submitting the application, I have scoured for potential machinery, even going to Taiwan to see how the factory can be developed,” she said.
After a year’s delay
Shilpa will join at least 90 women entrepreneurs in the park that is expected to be inaugurated by November, after nearly a year of delay. From automobile sector to food processing and garments, the park is, in its core, a display of the power of women in the industry.
The tech park was first announced during the Invest Karnataka Meeting in February 2016, with the hope of completing it within the end of the year.
However, Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) officials said land acquisition was a hurdle.
While 300 acres in Harohalli Phase III on the outskirts of the city have been earmarked for the women’s tech park, nearly 106 acres have been developed so far. Layout formation, roads and other infrastructure work are nearing completion.
160 applications
“We had over 160 applications, but we wanted to ensure only feasible projects by those with experience come up. Apart from two, the rest are running established businesses and are in need of expansion. Most importantly, all the chosen companies are owned only by women,” said M. Bhyre Gowda, Assistant Director, Karnataka Udyog Mitra. The park has been designed by women exclusively, incorporating elements that are not found in other industrial areas, said K. Ratna Prabha, Additional Chief Secretary, and one of the primary driving forces behind the policy.
“From designing crèches and playschools to incorporating a natural lake to add aesthetics, the designing of the industrial area involved a lot of feedback from women entrepreneurs themselves,” she said.
On the need for such a park, she says that while the 5% reservation policy in 158 industrial areas across the State continues, the women-only park will be crucial to enhance networking among women entrepreneurs.