The representation of women in Indian boardrooms is evolving. As per the Egon Zehnder Global Diversity Report 2020, women presently hold 17% board positions in corporate India. Apart from getting elected to top positions, they are also increasingly taking the driver’s seat to launch start-ups, scale up their enterprises and propel their organisations on a growth trajectory – towards more profitability and success.
Women entrepreneurs are leading the charge with confidence across several sectors and are not hesitant to take bold decisions backed by solid research and sound business understanding.
As per a recent report titled ‘State of Women in Tech Entrepreneurship in India’, there is a substantial rise in the number of women entrepreneurs in the tech space in India. The report states that the number of women in tech surged 11 times between January 2018 and June 2020.
Moreover, women-owned MSMEs are making huge gains across diverse fields. With phenomenal talent and a high level of knowledge, women are realising their entrepreneurial dreams also due to effective women-centric policies and supportive programmes tailor-made for women.
Smart programmes like Yes Essence Plus which offer accelerators for women with access to mentors and venture capitalists are inspiring them to continue – even speed up – their dream run.
Acknowledging the hard work and professional expertise of women entrepreneurs, such programmes provide them guidance in the right direction. They help start-up owners sharpen their focus, connect with peers and gain deeper insights into multiple operational layers. Since Yes Bank also helps women entrepreneurs link up with VCs under its programme, it gets easier for them to access funds, thanks to the backing of a reputable bank.
Alongside mentorship, extending other benefits such as preferential loan rates, smart MSME solutions and upskilling programmes are sure to enable more women to tap into greater opportunities.
Similar schemes of educational, mentoring and networking opportunities will root women firmly in financial independence while also giving them a broader platform to further the country’s growth. According to a joint report by Google and Bain & Company, Women-owned enterprises can create 150-170 million jobs in India by 2030. The employment generation will support livelihoods and accelerate economic progress.
It is therefore important not only to recognise how efficiently women can run their ventures, with aplomb and ambition, but also to help catapult their participation and representation through impactful opportunities and policy changes.
This is a partnered post