Rise of women entrepreneurs

Modern women are giving wings to their dreams as they chart their own course of success through

entrepreneurship amidst various challenges

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• While for some it was getting back to work after the break, for others it was giving up a high profile job; but the dream to set up something of their own was the motivation that helped these women to chart out their own path in the world of entrepreneurs. And the results have been exceptional startups that are not only making these women proud but are also taking the `Make in India' concept to a new height.

WOMEN POWER• Turning entrepreneur comes with its own set of challenges, talking

about the challenges faced, Tanvi Chauhan, CEO Pantangaa, says “Rigid approach of people towards this change is the biggest challenge, which I faced and many women still face problems like getting capital to fund their businesses.However, now the time is changing as women entrepreneurs continue to script their success,“ Anshulika Dubey, Co-founder, Wishberry, says, “As an entrepreneur you've signed up for changing the world, one small step at a time, and with someone else' money! So it's not an easy promise to keep. Fear of failure, less time, stress, meeting deadlines, building people's career who have showed faith in working on your vision, keeping investors on board with your vision, are all a part of the party!“

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• For Upasana Taku, CoFounder, MobiKwik, to see yourself through the `first' of everything you need to have a great deal of confidence and conviction in your ideas, “First and the most important challenge that I faced was to find the right set of people to work with. The challenge was really intense in the beginning and I presume that is how things work out for most startups. To find and hire the first engineer, the first sales person, the first of any new division is always difficult. But the level of difficulty reduces with each new addition to the team. It was difficult to get the first 10 employees on-board, but less so for the next 10 and so on and so forth.

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• This experience turned out to be true with respect to everything that we did in the businessthe first deal we cracked, the first agreement we signed, etc were all difficult, but the subsequent milestones in the same area were easier. To give you an example, it took us a year to close our first agreement, but the second one took just 15 days!“ It is a man's world, feels Kanika Gupta, Co-Founder & COO, Square Yards. “It has always been. There aren't many women leaders anywhere. It is because most women are not given equal opportunities, salaries or treatment. You are thought as malleable and soft and if you are tough, you tend to walk on fragments of easily shattered male egos.“

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• Agrees, Lisa Srao, Chairman & Managing Director, I Brands Beverages, “The major limitation, faced by any woman entrepreneur is the regressive mindset.Gender Stereotyping comes across as the major hurdle when starting a new venture. Also, there is absence of role models. We need more women to take on to leadership roles and unconventional fields of work.“

A TURNAROUND• However, things are changing fast and for better. “Unlike earlier

when I started, nowadays the society at large has accepted women working out of home and playing the dual role of family and career. Most families are nuclear and hence there are few members to interfere in personal matters and decision making.

• Moreover women themselves have come to understand the value of being able to stand on their own feet,“ avers Gita Ramesh, Jt Managing Director, Kairali Ayurvedic Group.“We could also say that the vast exposure to the world one gets through the advancement of technology has also opened up various avenues for women entrepreneurs. Technological advancements supplemented with more women oriented career options also have ensured more options for women.“

A FAIR DEAL

• “On the positive side of things,“ Taku adds, “investors like working with women entrepreneurs because they were generally seen to be more honest and less arrogant than men. Now as more and more women create and run companies, we can expect to see a more open, transparent, and genderneutral ecosystem developing in India.“ Even the government is quite supportive and is encouraging women entrepreneurs with easy norms. “Previously, women entrepreneurs were not adequately represented among the business community. But times are changing now, and it is not late when women come out in large numbers to start their own business ventures.

Contd..• In support of this, Government of India has introduced many

schemes like TREAD (Trade Related Entrepreneurship Assistance and Development) and various Women Development Corporations to help women entrepreneurs in arranging credit and marketing support,“ shares Gupta. “Whilst a number of credit schemes are available for women, low awareness about these available schemes hinder many women in realizing their dream of becoming entrepreneurs.“

• We can't expect equality while asking for some special treatment. It is equality that these women desire but the only thing they want is stronger measures being put into place with respect to public transport and security. Hope the government is hearing.

Parveen Kumar Chadha… THINK TANK

(Founder and C.E.O of Saxbee Consultants & Other-Mother

marketingandcommunicationconsultants.com)

Email :-saxbeeconsultants@gmail.com

Mobile No. +91-9818308353

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