Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved by SHEROES
When India was busy talking about feminism and how it will change humanity for good, some entrepreneurs were actually taking steps towards making life better for the female section of the society. One such entrepreneur is Sairee Chahal, who founded SHEROES in the year 2013.
SHEROES is a platform to build a community for women by offering support, resources, opportunities, and interactions via the portal named Sheroes.com and the application- SHEROES.
Lets go through the Success Story of SHEROES along with getting a glance on SHEROES Founder, Business Model, How it Started, Funding, Revenue Model & more…
SHEROES, the women-only community is a safe and trusted space founded by Sairee Chahal. Here, women can discuss various aspects of their life like health, careers, relationships and also share their life stories, achievements and moments. The SHEROES application also offers a dedicated helpline where the community members can talk to counselors on aspects of their growth journeys.
SHEROES follows a platform-centric model that aims at connecting companies to women professionals. These include mechanisms like the digital product, channel programs, hiring initiatives, employee branding, custom and of course special projects. Also, this is an engagement platform for brand marketers who are looking to engage with urban educated women. SHEROES.in today’s powers some of the largest diversity initiatives, channel programs and returning professionals programs.
SHEROES being an intermediary platform offers its enterprise customers a wide array of products which includes Brand Solutions, SHE – which is originated for the prevention of sexual harassment at work platform and also there is a Managed Remote Solutions program. Additionally, this platform also hosts the #SHEROES Summit which is a multi-city annual flagship event and #theshift Series which is envisioned for changing the gender narrative, alongside the community meets across geographies.
Sairee Chahal is the Founder and CEO of SHEROES. Sairee is a technology entrepreneur and has straddled the best of both worlds in her multiple ventures like Newslink, Fleximoms and now SHEROES.
She started Fleximoms.com to help women in India to discover new opportunities. Sairee is widely credited for building up women at work and future-of-work conversations in India. Also, she is renowned for building a strong technology play to solve the problems of gender disparity in India. This brilliant entrepreneur is also the convener of The SHEROES Summit which is India’s largest women’s forum.
Sairee has an M.Phil from JNU and a PGDM from IMT Ghaziabad. She kicks started her professional career while she was still in college before cofounding her first startup. Back then she was working at corporates like Heidrick and Struggles and CII. Sairee seems to be the icon of the modern woman. She has spoken on the TEDx stage and has been featured in India Today.
The idea behind SHEROES is very simple. It is to partner with every woman in India so that she can stay on a career path of her choice and meticulously excel at it. Now, this includes all types of working women, be it that of a first-time intern, work at home mom or a top corporate strategist or an entrepreneur.
According to Sairee Chahal, “I have been an entrepreneur more than once and have also been on the corporate side story, with its own trappings of success and career ladder. However, one does realize the need to address what looks like a reducing peer group as you grow into your career. SHEROES.in was set up with the view of converting the talk about diversity into the action. We all know the figures, the data, the gender and women at work debate but how do we bring out solutions. SHEROES.in is a step in that direction. The response has been great and we are very early into this. This can only go one way – towards more and more solution-oriented change concerning the women at work”.
SHEROES revenue is mainly driven by companies, who pay for 3 things:
For set up of women centric programs and initiatives
For premium products provided in platform like Ad Space, Micro sites, postings etc.,
For helping the companies to establish diversity program for companies, do benchmark studies etc.,
SHEROES – Startup Challenges
When it comes to startups that create business alignment with what will be financial value plus social impact is definitely a challenge. When you are at an early stage in the process, you are likely to be written off easily. Also, being a bootstrapped startup with a big audacious goal is not easily acceptable in the community. SHEROES as an enterprise defies many startup formulas, making way for new and contemporary concepts, but germinating these ideas is tough
When it comes to women’s employment and platforms that create and mediate those, the market seems to be fairly crowded and competitive. SHEROES competes with big and small industry affiliates like LinkedIn, TheMuse, Jobs for Her, Women for Hire to name a few.
SHEROES – Funding and Investors
SHEROES has raised over $2.58M in 3 rounds of funding. Its most recent funding was led by Leo Capital and Facebook executive Anand Chandrasekaran for an undisclosed amount.
Otipy, the social commerce venture of farm-to-retail agritech startup Crofarm partnered with SHEROES to empower women.
This partnership will be based on a revenue-sharing model, with strong synergies between both the app-based platforms. With an aim to empower women pan-India by providing them with an earning opportunity as Otipy partner resellers, this partnership was fueled. The initiative is looking to partner with 1000+ women in becoming Otipy resellers
SHEROES – Growth
Has members from over 20,000 locations
Over 12,000 companies actively use the platform
Currently active in all the major metro cities of India
SHEROES till date (2020) has acquired 6 startups, thereby strengthening its offering to the community.
Date
Company/Acquiree
About
September 2016
LoveDoctor
A health counselling platform
October 2016
Gharkamai
An online platform that assists professional women in finding work from home opportunities
August 2017
Women Restart
supports women returning to work after career break
September 2017
Babygogo
A healthcare startup that offers a parenting platform helping new moms keep their children healthy
January 2019
Maya
It enables women to keep track of their health via a mobile application
June 2020
Naaree.com
Women-focused publishing platform
SHEROES – Awards
SHEROES was awarded by the IAMAI Digital Awards in the “Social & Economic Empowerment” category in the year 2018.
Onalytica’s “Future of work Top 100 influencers and brands” featured the founder of SHEROES, Sairee Chahal at number 53 in the influencer list and SHEROES at number 30 in the brand’s category.
In the coming five years, SHEROES aims to put more than 100 million women on the growth road map in the country. SHEROES plans on expanding its footprint and go deeper into TIER 1 and 2 cities in India, where the need for opportunities is vast and there are lesser resources or help available to women.
SHEROES – Frequently Asked Questions
What will I find on SHEROES.in?
The part of being on SHEROES is that you will be a part of urban, educated, and empowered women. You can find job opportunities, career guidance from the panel of mentors and access to career resources. If you are woman looking for career opportunities and other women like you, SHEROES.in is the best platform for you.
Who is Sairee Chahal?
Sairee Chahal is the Founder and CEO of Sheroes, A woman only community.
Can I find jobs on SHEROES?
Yes, you can. You need to complete your profile, search and apply for jobs of your interest. You can find jobs on sheroes.in/jobs. Nont only jobs but you can also get career guidance and resources.
How to join bloggers network on SHEROES?
You just have to sign up on the website. Being a blogger on SHEROES you can get blogging opportunities, work as affiliate partners, be an official and verified SHEROES.in blogger.
Crimes against women has been a worrying scenario all over the world. As we celebrate the International Women’s Day, women’s safety and integrity is an agenda on the portfolios of many campaigns. Amongst others, a corporate setting too can be a place for foul play with women.
Sexual harassment or sexism at workplace has been a key concern amongst women employees. Every company is implied to set up a committee to readdress the same.
How deep does this problem run in organisations? is the committee really effective in addressing this issue? Have they ever faced it themselves? We find the answers to these questions as we speak to the women in the industry.
Dr. Shikha Baghi Bhandari – CEO & Owner, Timeless Aesthetics
Dr. Shikha Baghi Bhandari – CEO & Owner, Timeless Aesthetics
Sexism is everywhere and of course I have faced it in my career early on where people were not even subtle about their prejudices. Blatant disregard of my education and skills despite me being a specialist in my field, were simply demoralizing.
To combat that, I excelled in my field and proved to people that I am the best. It may sound sad or unfair that men do not necessarily have to prove their skill like women, but to change people’s views, one must unequivocally become the best in whatever they do.
I am glad to say that I have risen to the challenge and made a name for myself. Now it’s time to inspire the youths and my peers. That is why I am expanding my operations by opening clinics in many cities. This will create opportunity for many who don’t have to worry about roadblocks like sexism or pay gaps.
Hardwork requires more than heart, one must be tough enough to face life’s challenges. Women must work hard to reach certain heights where they get to make the rules. Once that is accomplished, sexism will be eradicated from it’s root.
The most important thing to remember is to not repeat what men have been doing. Our priority has to be equality across the board.
To those who are feeling down, I say this, “Never lose focus and prove them wrong, because you can”.
Unfortunately, but thankfully, I’ve had only one experience wherein a certain client tried to undermine my ability to run my practice based on my gender. That’s when I decided it’s best to cut ties with a client who was more focused on my gender than my work quality. Sadly, I know of several independent women who run successful businesses who have been victims of similar instances.
This is why it’s important that women set the right expectations from the very beginning. It’s also important that women through their demeanour and conduct demand to be treated equally and rightfully. One can be polite yet assertive while putting a point across and these small measures can have a huge impact in the way a team or a client would approach you.
However, for this, it’s also important to adopt a professional conduct while interacting with team-members and clients. This could be in the smallest sense – avoid conversations post a certain hour (unless absolutely necessary), avoid conversations that disclose private matters, be mind of email etiquette; body language; tonality, dressing in a certain way, etc.
Unfortunately, one to many times. Being in the industry I am, its shameful to say that its very common. People are more responsive when it’s a girl on the opposite call, rather than when it’s a man.
Even if the man is a Rockstar in sales, the girl has more chances of getting through because of the notion that has become the untold truth that sexism sells.
As I said, we do everything we can to promote gender equality, and infact we have more male BD’s than female, and we also send our female employee to the production site, so not only they understand what’s happening, but also they become stronger as a person when they are in the field.
Although I was running an organisation, during the initial few days I have experienced sexism. It was evident in the little things that the artisans in my workshop would do, like be hesitant to take orders from a woman and expect a male to be a decision-maker.
When I started my business, it was my passion project but these small things that you face can be bothersome in the beginning. It took me some time to get used to being comfortable in my role and I have managed to train and, even change my workforce wherever necessary.
It was mandatory to make those difficult decisions and hold my ground whenever necessary to make my workplace conducive not only to me but also to other women artisans.
When it comes to business, nothing can fully prepare you for challenges, you have to face them and if you don’t rise above your difficulty it makes your survival in the industry strenuous.
To maintain a healthy and functional workspace, I treat all my artisans and employees with respect and expect the same from them but if I feel someone is being sexist at my workspace, rather than turning a blind eye to it, I chose to have a conversation with them even if it gets uncomfortable.
If I don’t stand up for the things I believe in, I can’t expect anyone else to. I have to be the change I want to see.
I think a lot of women are still hesitant to show their confident side to the world because of the scare of how people will react, I think every woman who works at my organization is given equal rights to voice their opinion and to express their thoughts.
I think listening to everyone and not over talking helps an individual grow, because it helps you look beyond the judgmental instincts that you might have otherwise.
The world has become a more inclusive place now and what matters are the skill set and the dedication to bring to the table, it’s no longer whether you are a man or a woman.
I have never personally faced any sexism at my workplace and I am working towards building a secure environment for every individual who is working with me.
For me, it’s always been an evaluation of a role based on performance and giving everyone an equal opportunity at work. Alongside we have a very detailed clear guidebook for what is considered acceptable behavior.
No, I haven’t faced such issues in my workplace. In general we can’t say it’s not happening in the workplaces but it’s considerably reduced nowaday through awareness programs and organisation’s initiatives.
Women should be strong enough to voice out without any fear if such cases happen in their workplace so that we can take proper action.
In our startup we ensure that we will be alway open to hear such feedback from anyone in workplace and will take action on such cases if it’s reported in our workplace and also its individual men’s responsibility to treat their female coworkers as a friend and ensure their safety, only then we can make sure not to happen in any workplace.
Naina Aggarwal Ahuja – Founder & COO, Talking Point Communications
Naina Aggarwal Ahuja – Founder & COO, Talking Point Communications
I took the plunge as an entrepreneur at quite a young age when most people would rather get into a comfortable corporate job.
My work is all about managing people’s reputations and communicating a brand’s messaging aptly to its target audience. This means I practically work round the clock.
Being a woman makes this a tad bit more challenging given the different things I need to balance on a day-to-day basis – from running the company, being the trustee of an NGO, managing home, and also finding the time to follow my passion.
However, what has kept me going in all these years is my ability to prioritize, set the right expectations across all aspects of my life, and staying true to my commitments.
I think being at the helm of affairs does not have anything to do with gender. It is about believing in what you have set out to achieve and going full-steam ahead with diligence and perseverance. Even during COVID-19, when most business sectors suffered a setback, I did not let it deject me. We kept it going and tried to look for newer avenues in times like these.
Dr. Malini Saba – Founder & Chairman, Saba Group
Dr. Malini Saba – Founder & Chairman, Saba Group
Sexism at workplace happens every day in a lot of small things; it is slow & toxic, a death by a thousand cuts. Positioning at predominantly held male dominated space is not been easy.
I have met the best minds and the worst, frauds and cons, been fooled & bullied, sexually harassed and assaulted. I focus on hiring mainly women to create a culture for women in all ‘boys club’.
The pandemic has intensified sexism challenges that women already face, working mothers have always worked a “double shift”—a full day of work, followed by hours spent caring for children and doing household labour. Now the supports that made this possible—including school and childcare—have been upended.
To curb sexism at workplace was not just about having one issue fixed, we tried addressing all the small things that add up to a bigger problem for women to succeed at work. We allow flexible work arrangements and focus on productivity and results, and not time spent at the desk. We support pay transparency & ensure that there are no gaps in our workplace by doing a wage audit.
We hold regular events, workshops, campaigns and also engage outside speakers to conduct sessions on discrimination, harmful behavior, defending & supporting women and building trust. To liven up these sessions we incorporate them into company retreats or other outings to associate it with fun events. We have expanded our services related to mental health, such as counselling and enrichment programs, and give training to help managers support the team mental health and well-being.
Chahat Aggarwal- Founder and CEO of Impact Study Biz
Chahat Aggarwal- Founder and CEO of Impact Study Biz
Yes, I have faced sexism in the workplace and I can go on and on about it. Sexism sometimes is so subtle that many a time one is left wondering if it really was sexist or is overthinking it. But trust me, 9/10 times it is sexist. And then there are situations of blatant in-your-face sexism. I remember once sitting in a meeting where a man kept talking to the male colleague throughout the meeting whilst completely ignoring me. It was supremely awkward to sit there and be treated invisible.
Coming to the second part of the question. Firstly, we are a women-led company. We have women across all functions and hence, I feel we subconsciously are ingrained with the principles of discouraging sexism in a big way. However, if someone feels they have encountered it, we give them complete right to red flag it then and there. No need for any further process. And of course, we will make sure to look into the matter thoroughly and take the appropriate actions. But luckily, so far our culture has steered us away from all such incidences.
Although this happens to both the genders, women are more susceptible to sexism and workplace harassment. Giving their promotion to a male worker or luring them into an early promotion offer, sexual favours for quid pro quo are some of the common incidents reported by employees.
Sexual harassment at workplace can be unnerving and can jeopardize the confidence and self esteem of the person going through it. An open door policy, a solid readdresal structure and empathy towards the victim are the key essentials to prevent the unthoughtful at source.
Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verifiedinformation ondifferent startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved by Oxfordcaps.
Millennials are on the top of co-working and carpooling. With that, there’s also a huge rise in the demand for co-living areas in and around India. This trend is at the top of current housing trends in the country and youngsters are all over it. With the vision of providing co-living spaces, Annu Talreja and Priyanka Gera came together to launch Oxfordcaps residencies in 2017.
Lets go through the Success Story of Oxfordcaps along with getting a glance on Oxfordcaps founders, funding, How it started, competitors & more..
Oxfordcaps is Asia’s No. 1 branded and tech-enabled student housing company and provides a hassle-free and technology-driven living experience to Gen Z students in India and Singapore. This venture provides a custom-designed and standardized Student Housing product with a full-stack model of services and amenities including Wi-Fi, laundry, nutritious meals, professional housekeeping and an array of events and activities focused on career development and lifestyle for its students. The projects and services are standardized within the Oxfordcaps brand services guidelines, providing a transparent, hassle-free and safe alternative to a market dominated largely by the unorganized PG (Paying Guest) segment to date. They operate via three sub-brands and cater to students across price segments including Oxfordcaps Premium Residences, Oxfordcaps Student Residences and Oxfordcaps Dorms for the budget segment.
Oxfordcaps Logo
All the Oxfordcaps residences are equipped with top-notch security features like CCTV Camera, biometric access and 24×7 security guards. Also, they serve FSSAI quality food at all Oxfordcaps residences. Oxfordcaps focuses on hygiene, taste, and variety when it comes to food. And they have a strong operations team, including F&B experts. There is a quality check at every point. For menu planning, the team takes feedback not only from the students but from their parents as well. Oxfordcaps also provides wholesome delicious vegetarian, non-vegetarian and Jain meals along with late-night meals.
The market size is estimated to be $15 billion with more than 10.4M students across India migrating to cities every year to pursue their academic dreams. However, student housing today suffers from a high level of fragmentation, lack of quality solutions, price transparency, reliability and complete lack of technology enablement of processes.
Oxfordcaps is addressing this gap and aiming to meet the unmet demand. The market in Singapore is equally appealing to addressing student accommodation needs of international students from the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
Oxfordcaps – Founders and Team
Annu Talreja and Priyanka Gera are the founders of Oxfordcaps.
Priyanka Gera (COO) and Annu Talreja (CEO), Founders of Oxfordcaps
Annu Talreja (CEO & Founder, Oxfordcaps)
Annu is a student of Sushant School of Art and Architecture, Gold medalist at School of Planning and Architecture and has completed a Master’s Degree at INSEAD
Priyanka Gera (COO & Founder, Oxfordcaps)
Priyanka is an IIM-Calcutta and School of Planning and Architecture alumni. The idea of creating a branded chain of student accommodation germinated while she was an architecture student in Delhi.
Oxfordcaps are hiring through LinkedIn, reputed colleges and industry references. Apart from basic CS qualifications like data structures, algorithms, and programming concepts, the team evaluates the candidates on their approach towards problem-solving. The final decision is based on the candidate’s overall performance and not just one skillset.
The idea of creating a branded chain of student accommodation germinated when the co-founders were students and finally after their experience in companies such as JLL and Marriott Group, they had a more definite and structured approach to solving this problem that plagues over 100 million students across Asia.
Oxfordcaps is Asia’s No. 1 branded and tech-enabled student housing company and provides a hassle-free and technology-driven living experience to Gen Z students in India and Singapore. This venture is looking to expand to 12+ cities and standardize our Student Housing product with design thinking and technology at the core of the experience. They provide a custom-designed and standardized Student Housing product with a full-stack model of services and amenities. The projects and services are standardized within the Oxfordcaps brand services guidelines, providing a transparent, hassle-free and safe alternative to a market dominated largely by the unorganized PG (Paying Guest) segment to date. They operate via three sub-brands and cater to students across price segments including Oxfordcaps Premium Residences, Oxfordcaps Student Residences and Oxfordcaps Dorms for the budget segment.
The Oxfordcaps founders come with international experience in managing student housing. The learnings from Singapore aside from their experience in managing 12+ Indian cities for the past year have made them more adaptive to the market needs. This international experience equipped them in designing spaces that meet international standards. Their focus on community building with regular events and engagements is highly appreciated and has a special affinity among students. The founder’s need for community building is deeply rooted and is also reflected in the way they include community spaces in their designs.
In 2019, Oxfordcaps announced that it is starting its operations in Bengaluru by acquiring 5000 beds in the city. This marks the Singapore based company’s foray into the South Indian market. Oxfordcaps has also exclusively tied up with IFIM Business School which is an industry first and one of its kind associations. The company will provide the best in class on and off-campus international standard accommodation for students studying at the business school. Oxfordcaps will also provide the best technology-enabled living experience to the students from 5 other key universities in Bengaluru including Presidency University, Reva University, R.V. College of Engineering, M.S. Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Christ University and NMIMS, in addition to IFIM Business School.
Oxfordcaps had also associated with Dharma Productions’ movie – ‘Student of the Year 2’. Student of the Year 2’ was one of the most awaited movies of the year amongst the Gen Z students. With Oxford’s expansion in cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Dehradun, Pune, Indore, Bengaluru, Greater Noida, Ahmedabad, and Jaipur, this association helped the venture gain more affinity among the student community as well as position it as a preferred ally among our business partners.
Student Housing product has never been looked at from the lens of design thinking and technology at the core of the experience. The market size is estimated to be $15 billion with more than 10.4M students across India migrating to cities every year to pursue their academic dreams. However, student housing today suffers from a high level of fragmentation, lack of quality solutions, price transparency, reliability and complete lack of technology enablement of processes. Oxfordcaps is addressing this gap and aiming to meet up to the unmet demand of 36 million students pursuing higher education in India.
This industry is not at all untapped. It has major players in the marker possessing cut-throat competition for Oxfordcaps. Starting from Nestaway, ZiffyHomes, StayAbode, SimplyGuest to Placio, YourOwnROOM, RenyMyRoom, Rentroomiand a lot more in the startup ecosystem.
Oxfordcaps – Funding and Investors
Oxfordcaps has raised US$10.4 million. The investors include 500 Startups, Times Internet and Kalaari Capital. Also, there is an ongoing discussion on Series B round of $50 million. The new capital will be used for fueling the company’s growth with expansion into 10+ cities and standardization of its Student Housing product with design thinking and technology at the core of the experience.
Oxfordcaps has started tapping the opportunity and has clocked a 75X growth in less than 11 months since its launch in India and has expanded from 200 beds to over 15,000 beds to date.
Oxfordcaps – Awards
Entrepreneur India – Real Estate Startup of the year
BW Businessworld – BW Disrupt 40Under40 “Prominent change-makers under 40”
By 2021, the company aims to redesign the Student Living experience across Asia with over 2 lakh beds. The venture aims to grow its presence in India to over 1 lakh beds across 35 cities encompassing all major education hubs.
Oxfordcaps – FAQs
Who are Oxfordcaps Founders?
Annu Talreja and Priyanka Gera are the founders of Oxfordcaps.
What is Oxfordcaps?
Oxfordcaps is Asia’s No. 1 branded and tech-enabled student housing company and provides a hassle-free and technology-driven living experience to Gen Z students in India and Singapore.
Who are the top competitors of Oxfordcaps?
Nestaway, ZiffyHomes, StayAbode, SimplyGuest to Placio, YourOwnROOM, RenyMyRoom, Rentroomi & more are Oxfordcaps’ competitors.
Women have been entering many fields and industries that they were absent in the past. They have been breaking through the glass-ceiling for quite some time now, and there are many professions they are taking up and excelling in. In this article, we will take a look at the most profitable business ideasfor housewives and women who want to do some side hustle. Remember, the list is limited in this article but not in real life. You can be whatever you want to be as long as you have the motivation and passion to do it. We have come up with some of the best business ideas for women in India which need very little investment and still provide high profit.
Let’s start with the list of best business ideas for women:
Yoga & Fitness Center | Best Business ideas for Women
Yoga is an ancient Indian fitness technique that is becoming popular worldwide, so being a Yoga trainer has a lot of potentials as it has a huge demand. You can learn Yoga at any good training centre and once you get the certificates, you can start advertising yourself through the means of pamphlets in a newspaper, or hoarding in nearby regions, or even through communicating with your friends, family and neighbours. An investment is required, though it is not as significant but you will need a place to conduct your sessions, yoga mats, dumbbells, and other paraphernalia. Then you are ready to become a Yoga instructor.
“Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.”, said by John F. Kennedy
And to become a fitness trainer, it will require a bit extra investment to set up but the resulting profit is great, as gym equipment are a one-time investment. Almost everybody is health conscious these days and therefore this business will be profitable.
Photography
Photography | Best Business ideas for Women’
If you love photography then photography is the perfect business idea for women. If you click photos of your family and friends then you can start clicking pictures of wedding, parties, real estate building, wildlife, etc and get paid.
What you need are the best quality camera and a few accessories. You can start with local customers and then you can share your portfolio on socialPhoto media like Facebook, Instagram, etc. You can sell your pictures to magazines, Shutterstock too.
Restaurant
Restaurant Business | Best Business ideas for Women
In today’s busy world, restaurants play an important role in every person’s life. Most women are passionate and talented about cooking, and it is more than a stereotypical assumption. It is one of the best startup business ideas for women. Restaurant businesses do very well in today’s economy. Our nation is developing rapidly and the food and beverage industry is prospering as well.
A woman can start their own restaurant or cafe and earn profits as people love food everywhere. And if your restaurant offers good food and quality, there is only a little more you will need to do. There is undoubtedly high competition in this sector, but once the business settles there are only returns to your investments that are going to be much higher. You can also start a catering or take-away services as an addition to running a restaurant.
Clothing can be other startup ideas for women. There are many talented women who know how to work with a piece of cloth. The clothing business is gaining a lot of popularity in these past few decades and women are doing great. With a little bit of investment in the tools, clothes and machinery, you can turn your talent into a business. It could be a business from home too which will be perfect for a housewife.
As a beginner, you can design your own clothes and set up a space in your home to stitch them. Once your business starts gaining enough profits, you can move on to making it bigger. Customers want better quality, a variety in the types of clothes, accessories they wear and all this at a reasonable amount. That is your market and it is very profitable to get into the clothing business, considering the rapid rise in the fashion industry.
“Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.”, said by Rachel Zoe
Consulting Business
Consulting Business | Best Business ideas for Women
It doesn’t have to be the ‘traditional’ businesses that women get to choose from. Many women are taking their years of corporate or IT experiences and turning it into a full-fledged business.
A consultant is an expert who advises others in a specific field or to fix specific problems.
Companies and corporates are always looking for people with enough experience so that they can consult them for a variety of challenges or strategies with their organization. If you are well aware of the market around yourself and have a good network of contacts with professionals from different industries, you could set up a consultancy firm on your own and share the information with others. It doesn’t require much capital investment as even a small room can be turned into your business office. Although, you would need the required qualification, certificates and experience in this area. There are many types in consulting business like Career Consultant, Leadership/Team Building Consultant, Marketing Consultant, Organization/Efficiency Consultant, etc.
Beauty Parlor Business | Best Business ideas for Women
If you enjoy styling hair, performing manicures and all other aspects of the cosmetology industry, a career as a beauty salon may be a rewarding and lucrative career choice for you. It is the best business for women. This business requires only a little investment in training, quality products and basic equipment. The customer base of beauty parlour and salon keeps increasing every day.
People spend a lot of time on their looks and want to be at their best physically. And hence, Gym and Beauty Parlors are the top priorities of today’s generation. You will need a space to set up your business and advertisement in initial stages, and then rest can be left to word of mouth as people will be drawn to you when there is an ease in access to your outlet. This beauty business will suit women of every age and housewives can easily turn it into a profitable business with her neighbour friends.
Blogging
Blogging | Best Business ideas for Women
For the females who want to work from home, or have a family to look after, blogging is a very good idea of business for them. These days there are hundreds upon thousands of blogs out there, covering just about everything you can think of. And business is no exception. They come in all formats about all subjects, from marketing to finance to entrepreneurship.
Blogging is for people who love to write, and you will find many examples of women around you to prove that. When you are blogging, you can work completely on your own schedule – that is when you are also meeting the targeted work each day, or week. You can set up a blogging site of yours and monetize it. Once you have an ample amount of audience, your articles will earn you income through the ways of ad placement on your web page. You do not need to be an excellent writer, however, you will need an understanding of what is your niche, how can you get the most traffic and the required SEO techniques to establish and earn well through your website.
Affiliate Marketing | Best Business ideas for Women
Affiliate Marketing is a type of performance-based marketing in which a business rewards their affiliates for each customer brought by affiliate’s own marketing efforts. You find a product or service you like, you promote it to others and earn a piece of the profit for each sale that you make. You will need to get connected to a firm or business that uses this marketing strategy and the work is done through your performance on the field.
An e-commerce merchant wanting to reach a wider base of internet users and shoppers may hire an affiliate. An affiliate could be the owner of multiple websites or email marketing lists; the more websites or email lists that an affiliate has the wider his network. The hired affiliate then communicates and promotes the products offered on the e-commerce platform to his network. The affiliate does this by implementing banner ads, text ads, or links on its multiple owned websites or via email to its clientele. You will need good communication skills, a good convincing skills and good approach to convert the leads into sales. There is no education qualification required as such in this field.
Writing is one profession that is especially suited to people who want flexibility in where, how, and when they work to fit their lifestyle goals. That’s because most types of writing today only require a computer, an Internet connection, and word processing software. Also, it is the best business for ladies with low investment and one of the best side business ideas for ladies.
A freelance writer is a person who works on a self-employed basis. They can work for a magazine, a publication, or any other content provider and get paid for the written work they do. Freelancers commonly present in creative industries. You can make a lot of money as a writer and start your own business of Freelance writing. You just need to know the right techniques to write and charge the right rate for your work. There are many online training programs for the same. A wide variety of types of writing are available, including articles, copywriting, and more.
Teach or Tutor
Teaching | Best Business ideas for Women
You can become a teacher for a private or public institute, or start up your own education centre where you teach yourself, or with a group of other teachers. You will need the necessary education qualification, correct advertisement techniques, a decent space to conduct classes and a passion to spread your knowledge. Home-tuition is also a good source of income for women.
If you enjoy working with people and helping them reach their goals and potential, a home-based coaching business might be for you. One of the great advantages to coaching today is that technology has expanded your ability to provide coaching services. These days, even online education is growing rapidly, thanks to the advancement of technology. You can post your video tutorials on any platform on the internet where you can monetize and earn from those videos. The profits are very high, once you have established your reputation.
Craft Business
Craft Business | Best Business ideas for Women
Women have a lot of unique characteristics of intricate and delicate handcrafting. Many customers look for handmade objects in craft stores. Thus, it is advisable to start a craft store. Since a majority of customers at craft stores are women, a female owner would make a better connection with them, thereby, allowing the customers to shop with ease.
One more business, craft-making business is also a good option of artistic woman. This business is different from the craft store because the craft store only sells products whereas craft-making requires things to be made from scratch. In the craft-making business, people require the skills of knitting, sewing by hand and so forth. Maintaining a craft making business requires neatness, precision, and aesthetic value. This is perfect for women who like art. Women with creativity can also start teaching her craft skills to children.
So there you have it, our list of best business option and ideas for the ladies. Women only need a little bit of self-assurance to develop their confidence and the rest can be left to their potency and proficiency. There are many emerging entrepreneurs that are female. With an ample amount of knowledge, understanding of business administrations and training – anyone can become an entrepreneur and a successful one if they have passion and determination to do more in them.
There are many types of designing businesses a woman can try like graphic designing, web designing, interior designing, fashion designing etc. She can do maximum work sitting at home. In the case of interior designing, the designer has to go for a visit to the site to look after work progress.
Graphics Design
If you have an eye for design and experience in graphic designing platforms like Adobe Creative Suite, Adobe Creative Cloud, InDesign, Illustrator, or Photoshop, then there is a profitable market out there for you in Graphic Designing. You can become a freelance graphic designer if you have creative skills that are required. A good computer and appropriate software are sufficient as an investment.
Businesses these days require graphic designers to make their creative artwork such as logo, or web design. The advantages to this business are that, provided you have a strong design and colour sense, you don’t need to be able to draw, you can work full time or part-time and you can do it at home. Hours are flexible, so as long as you meet clients at reasonable times and meet your deadlines, you can work ’til dawn and sleep ’til noon if you want to. Graphic designing with printing is a great source of earning income.
Interior Design
An interior designer plans, researches, coordinates, and manages enhancement of buildings from inside. Interior designing business needs conceptual development, space planning, site inspections, programming, research, communicating with the stakeholders of a project, construction management, and execution of the design. The interior designing business is also suitable for women because women have a knack for decorating and keeping things neat. Thus, women who are already in the field of designing can try their hands at interior designing.
Web Design
Web designing is a trending business in the present day. The number of people who want to hire a web designer has made many people switch their professions to pursue web designing. Any woman who has the knowledge of web designing can follow this career path.
Fashion Designing
Fashion is loved by all women. Thus, becoming a fashion designer is one of the most profitable businesses. A fashion designer should be able to combine the elements to make any person look more attractive just by the clothes they are wearing.
Women in Entrepreneurship! Even after 73 summers of independence, this phrase pleasantly raises a few eyebrows. And the ‘pleasantly’ that I added before the raise doesn’t sound as pleasant as it should be. Rather, it is a matter of concern for our country. According to a census, women make only around 14% of the business leadership class in India. No matter how many women’s days we celebrate, the reality lies in the fact that we haven’t been that successful in having better participation of women. We asked the people who can answer these better than anyone else. We asked the women themselves and here is everything we got to know. So here is what women founders think about the contribution of women in the startup ecosystem and why it is lagging behind, despite all their effort.
Arushi Bansal, Interior Design Director at AND Studio
Arushi Bansal, Interior Design Director at AND Studio
If we take into consideration the level of dedication and the amount of stress involved in starting a high-growth company, many women choose not to pursue this industry due to lifestyle choices and other priorities. Also, the natural prejudice that continues to exist in the startup community can be a pitfall for women, especially while networking and obtaining funding. Considering the small percentage of women in venture capitalism, these drawbacks sometimes create more of an obstacle for female entrepreneurs. Another reason that could hamper the involvement of women in this domain is that there are not enough role models for inspiration. Women who have boldly defied the norms are missing from the limelight and lack exposure.
Madhura Moulik, Co-Founder at Skilfinity
Madhura Moulik, Co-Founder at Skilfinity
Gender diversity in various industries in India is quite low leading to a massive dearth of women leaders who can eventually become part of the startup community. I think the change can happen when parents and even the education system encourage more girl-child to make their own career choices based on their aptitude. In the current condition, various start-up incubators and government bodies can provide a platform for women entrepreneurs and thus build role-models to inspire the next generation.
Yogita Tulsiani, CEO at iXceed Solutions
Yogita Tulsiani, CEO at iXceed Solutions
Acceptance of women entrepreneurs
Female entrepreneurs are judged to be less competent than their male peers.
Perceived bias within the venture finance community is a concern.
Women typically have higher risk-awareness than men and are more cautious about starting or scaling a business,
Women are less likely to believe they possess entrepreneurial skills:
Women are less likely than men to know other entrepreneurs or to have access to sponsors, mentors or professional support networks
Himani Khanna, Co-Founder & Director at Continua Kids
Himani Khanna, Co-Founder & Director at Continua Kids
Its more about a taboo which is not allowing women entrepreneur to mushroom but I look forward to inspirational people like Indra Nooyi who have crafted their path against all odds. The real breakthrough in human flight didn’t come from crafting better wings or using more feathers by which I mean even if the numbers are less but we simply cannot be ignored of our contributions in the society. I always look forward to women like Kiran Mazumdar Shaw who are leading a few of the powerful organizations and leaving a huge imprint on society.
Dr. Pooja Chhabra, Co-Founder at Nuskay Skincare
Dr. Pooja Chhabra, Co-Founder at Nuskay Skincare
It’s changing now, however slow & steady but the change is evident. The new India has more people taking risks, irrespective of the gender. Women-owned firms are less as of now, But it is growing against all the odds and challenges. However, it is still a difficult road. Society is not fully supportive towards women’s entrepreneurship, even now. People still believe women lack entrepreneurship skills and being taken seriously is itself a task. Women entrepreneurs have to stand tall against gender bias, difficult access to funds and male-dominated market.
Avni Kaul, Nutritionist, Founder at NutriActivania
Avni Kaul, Nutritionist, Founder at NutriActivania
In my opinion, it is not correct to generalize that women’s contribution is too less. There are actually many factors that in my view could be some of the reasons as far as women’s role in the Indian start-up community is concerned. Starting a business or a venture needs plenty of thinking and support too. I think even if someone wants to go for start-up several thoughts like finance, planning, support, and other factors are considered. Still, starting something new is never easy owing to various factors. But if you look around there are women who are actually quite successful in start-ups. And there are various companies across different dimensions of India where you can find many successful women who are playing a key role in start-ups. I don’t know how you look at it but if you look at some of the brands they were established even before the start-up era like Amul and Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad and they are some of the classic examples where women were the chief role players. So, this is enough to justify that women have a role.
Akriti Khatri, Founder at Venus Detective Agency
Akriti Khatri, Founder at Venus Detective Agency
Women start up is less in the community, as in today era parents are sending their both male and females children to school, But as the time comes to accomplish the dream male are supported whereas females are suppressed with the excuse that they have to be married and take care of their family so what’s the need of job. Even today there are very less women who are allowed to breath outside & follow their dreams. These all are the factors due to which women are still less contributing in startup as they can’t built confidence in them.
Kriti Jindal, Owner and Designer at Kari by Kriti
Kriti Jindal, Owner and Designer at Kari by Kriti
I think it is the fear and to a certain extent reality that women are treated differently. It’s changing now, but that disparity is definitely a contributor that pulls women down. According to an article that I recently read on Demium, there are fewer women leading startups because of these four reasons:
Fear of failure
Financial insecurities
Sterotypes and
Work life balance I think these four reasons hold true for women in any geography, not just in India.
Meha Bhargava, Founder at Styl.In
Meha Bhargava, Founder at Styl.Inc
According to research by Columbia Business School and London Business School, businesses led by women are 63 percent less likely to obtain venture capital (VC) funding than those led by men. While women don’t have the same glass ceiling issue they face in the corporate sector, in the startup community there is still a skewed mix of male founders and male lead successful startups. Some of the reasons I feel are:
The psychology and mindset of investors may need more time to change
The diversity mix in business schools is still skewed towards males which can be an indicator of people moving towards entrepreneurship as a career.
Imaan Javan, Director at Suntuity Renewable Energy India
Imaan Javan, Director at Suntuity Renewable Energy India
The kind of encouragement and boost the Indian start-up community needs is largely expected from the government. A variety of organizations and government bodies need to come together to play their respective roles in increasing the contribution of women to the start-ups of today’s India. Most importantly, a positive attitude about women entrepreneurship needs to be promoted on a large scale through role models and ambassadors, which will help in building the required confidence among women and give them the necessary push to come forward. Also, failure should not be looked down upon but considered a crucial learning step when it comes to start-ups. I also believe that India would benefit immensely from structured training and mentoring on honing one’s entrepreneurial skills, and I feel that this should start as early as possible right from early college years. Networking is highly essential in the start-up scenario and building linkages can expedite the establishment of a business or market penetration. Promoting a healthy work-life balance can also help women entrepreneurs as it will take a lot of load off them and allow them to focus on their dreams and ambitions. Women protection is also an extremely high level of concern in India that many a times deters people from coming forward and impedes them from reaching their maximum potential. I also strongly believe that there is tremendous potential in Rural India, which is untapped especially for women entrepreneurs. I feel a lot needs to be done in this direction to bring out the best in our country.
Swati Chugh, Director at 7th Heaven
Swati Chugh, Director at 7th Heaven
In our country we have taught women to be good caretakers and to be good followers but not confident leaders. Hence you will see a lot of women being good home makers or excellent employees, but they will not be comfortable to start their own company. Starting a business requires certain personality traits and in our country, till now, we have not really worked on building the personality of the girl child so that she becomes more risk taking, takes effective decisions, solves her own problems, acquires the correct knowledge and becomes technologically advanced. We did not expect her to be a leader, and hence she was never influenced to become one.These trends are rapidly changing and these days more and more families and women are realising the need to raise a girl child as an individual who can fulfil her own potential as compared toan individual who is supposed to only fulfil certain pre-defined roles.
Dr. Patricia Connolly, CEO at SMC Squared
Dr. Patricia Connolly, CEO at SMC Squared
Humbly, I’ll try to answer this question. When my company sponsored an Anita B breakfast in Bangalore, we welcomed many Indian women leaders, new college grads all the way up to C-level, accomplished women to the event. Several had started new ventures in addition to going to college, raising a family, and working in corporate firms. It was inspiring to listen to their stories, challenges and openness. I was in awe of the intelligence, perseverance, and passion they brought forward and shared that day! During that morning and at other conversations, I do sense a stressfulness, perhaps a deficiency, with women’s involvement in the in the Indian start-up community. I don’t see a simple answer to this question. What I do sense is that the seeds of greatness are there. Women of all generations should take their place, drive their ideas, and keep building. You can do this!
Neha Bagaria, Founder & CEO at JobsForHer
Neha Bagaria, Founder & CEO at JobsForHer
Only a quarter of India’s workforce is female. According to the India Skills Report 2018, the economic participation of women in the workforce has fallen from 32% in 2016 to 23% in 2018. The 2019 JobsForHer Benchmarking Report shows that a gender gap exists at all levels of the pipeline for women, 56% of the companies surveyed mentioned that they have greater than 30% women at entry level but widens as they move towards senior management/CEO levels and 56% of the companies mentioned that they have less than 10% women. Only, 48% of the companies (large, SMEs and Startups) surveyed are actively recruiting more women returnees. This indicates the tremendous efforts that still needs to be done to pave the way for women’s inclusion.
Chinu Kala, Founder at Rubans Accessories
Chinu Kala, Founder at Rubans Accessories
I strongly feel that times are changing ….and changing fast. It has taken many years for women to start thinking of doing something for themselves and the society. Imagine a time when all women start working – the Indian workforce will just double up. This is one of the key reasons that other countries have been able to grow rapidly. But as I said earlier – times are changing – and we are already seeing a shift in the next generation. With more women pursuing careers, India’s growth will be compounded in the next decade as we will have more participation from women in the country’s growth story.
Nirupama Subramanian, CoFounder at GLOW
Nirupama Subramanian, CoFounder at GLOW
At GLOW, we mentor and support women entrepreneurs and have heard first hand about some of the barriers, external and internal that women face. The biggest barrier is cultural and personal factors that inhibit women from taking the plunge and taking risks. There is not much support from the family, There is a fear that being an entrepreneur will lead to personal sacrifices. Many women don’t have the self confidence to power through. One of the things we hear about is limited access to funding- Women may not own property in their own name, women face the Maternal Wall bias if they have children. Women are not seen as natural born leaders. This comes in the way of active support for women. There are many incubators for women entrepreneurs and we hope things will improve in the startup community.
Mansi Gupta, Founder Tjori
Mansi Gupta, Founder Tjori
There are certain factors like unconscious gender bias, confidence in business skills, women safety in workplace and majorly access to finance.
Vishakha Chawla, founder at Vishakha Chawla Interiors
Vishakha Chawla, founder at Vishakha Chawla Interiors
In India women can’t decide their fate on own, they need lot of approval from near and dear ones. There is also a misconception that women can’t be leaders, they can’t manage a team, they can’t be the face of the brand. Also I feel there is no support for women on ground level. People are always in doubt of women’s decisions. With internet outspread in the country, I believe things will change. And I am hoping to see many women come out as an entrepreneur and lead their vision on their own terms.
Moqierish Tak, Co-Founder at India Assist Insights
Moqierish Tak, Co-Founder at India Assist Insights
There are many factors that contribute to the lack of women contribution in the Indian Start-up community ranging from lack of institutional support system for first timers, no risk covering possibility financially, lack of professional mentorship and recognition. Additionally, when it comes to funding, collaborations or running our business, women are scrutinized about how they would manage their but also personal lives in parallel, which is not a filter men are put through.
Sumita Tulsiani, Co-founder & Director at TravelDilSe
Sumita Tulsiani, Co-founder & Director at TravelDilSe
The major reason I personally feel why women contribution is still less in the Indian Startup community is lack of social support. A women is responsible to bear and also largely raise the child and handle the home. If on this count, women doesn’t receive the required support to balance her personal vs professional life, somewhere the professional life tend to take a back seat over personal life. Hence if our ecosystems, creates a strong backup or support system for every aspiring women wanting to come out and do something of her own, then am sure the dynamics of Indian economy on global front will change drastically.
Ankita Sheth, Co-Founder at Vista Rooms
Ankita Sheth, Co-Founder at Vista Rooms
Due to bias towards women entrepreneurs that they might take breaks in their career in order to adhere to their responsibilities at home. Hence, because of the same reason, they are not given enough opportunities to be able to exploit them. However, we see that the trend is slowing changing and more women are coming forward and running businesses.
Pavithra Rao, Cofounder and VP at Growth and Revenue, WaterScience
Pavithra Rao, Cofounder and VP at Growth and Revenue, WaterScience
The same reason there are fewer women in senior management- expectations from society and being primary caregivers for children which does not allow them to take up entrepreneurship wholeheartedly. That said, there are a lot of women who run small businesses that do not come under the definition of startups, as in the VC funded ones. As society evolves, we will definitely see more women embracing entrepreneurship in the future.
Kavya Dommeti, CEO at iB Hubs
Kavya Dommeti, CEO at iB Hubs
Just in the last generation, we have seen a rise in the number of women stepping up to work. Entrepreneurship, on the other hand involves lots of uncertainty and needs persistent efforts even in the face of failure. This needs a lot of courage and support from the community. iB Hubs is the platform that provides this support that young entrepreneurs need. Right from developing the mindset in the youth, we provide end-to-end assistance assistance to startups where they just need to focus on their core idea and we take care of the rest. We’re changing the face of entrepreneurship culture in the country in a holistic way.
Dr. Prerna Taneja, Director at Clinic Eximus
Dr. Prerna Taneja, Director at Clinic Eximus
Women contribution is too less in the Indian startup community, definitely yes! This is because of the reason that the policies in our country are not right. It should be seriously looked into. Also, funding here is the biggest issue. We have people around who doesn’t believe in funding a women startup as they feel that we can not run a business successfully and can only make loss. With this mindset of our society women are not allowed to go forward and showcase their real talent. With all these negative atmosphere sometimes women step down and leave their dream as it is because somewhere they turn negative themselves due to the surrounding they are fighting in. I would like to tell all those women who want to start their business, you need to understand that there will be a lot of reason to stop and let go your dreams but one reason to fight against all these mindset and move forward to prove them wrong. Keep believing yourself and you will definitely achieve your goal.
Avneet Makkar, Founder & CEO at CarveNiche Technologies
Avneet Makkar, Founder & CEO at CarveNiche Technologies
Women are lacking in the Startup scene as there is lack of credit protection, no financial risk covering and lack of professional mentoring. Furthermore, when it comes to funding, women are often questioned as to how would they manage family and work together, a filter men are not put through. In order to increase the number of women entrepreneurs in India, we need to improve their access to finance and networks.
Devangi Dalal, Audiologist and Speech Therapist, Co-Founder at JOSH Foundation
Devangi Dalal, Audiologist and Speech Therapist, Co-Founder at JOSH Foundation
I think it’s a perception. I think it is an individual’s desire and their ability to come up. If one works hard and is confident about what they do, any individual can do it. Many women are not confident about their capability of whether they will be able to do it. They are scared of taking the responsibility and fear of failure. But failures are also a part of learning. In many cases, women are still not giving opportunities to reach that level as they are thought to be incapable, feeble, etc. There are still many businesses that are controlled by men not because women cannot do it but simply because they are not given an opportunity to deal with patriarchal businesses and women are kept away from even trying to prove their potential. In many societies, even today, women are expected to betake care of the home and children. This mentality has to change. Our society has to change to make our women self-confident so that they can go out and achieve their dreams. I woman is trained from childhood to take care of the house, cook and be responsible. She manages to achieve this very skillfully. Just imagine if these same women are taught to be self-dependent, they would turn out be great entrepreneurs.
Ruchi Garg, CEO, Co-Founder at Venuelook
Ruchi Garg, CEO, Co-Founder at Venuelook
For centuries, most men have been thanking the women in their family to provide inspiration, motivation, and support that enabled them to achieve extraordinary feats in life. Sadly, eventually, this became the norm – our society’s perfect template! Women are raised to be multi-talented, multi-taskers; to be ladylike (polite, non-aggressive, inclusive); to be dependable; to be empathetic, caring for the family and society. And yet when some of them try to break the society’s perfect template (the glass ceiling), they enter an ugly world that starts to judge them with a bias! There are definitely more existing biases in the society and if we add gender bias to the list too, then opportunities left for women to grow professionally are constrained “Women, from time immemorial, have fought for the right of others, now it’s her time to get her rights realized and get equal participation in the society.” The day I wouldn’t need to write anything about women getting “Equal Rights” in this society, is the day this world will have moved to a dimension of unbound success.
Divya Gupta, Founder at Dialogue Room
Divya Gupta, Founder at Dialogue Room
In one of my finance events I’d held with women, I enquired why women don’t invest under their own name. The response I got from them stated that a lot of women don’t know much about finance and investment. Therefore, women are scared to venture into that space. I believe not enough skill or training is being given to women to step into the startup space. Hence, there should be special programs that focus on skill development and investment training for women.
Dildeep Kalra, Director at Massive Restaurants
Dildeep Kalra, Director at Massive Restaurants
I’ve had exposure to working women around me and they have been very supportive and have given me full guidance. I can prioritize my work when it is needed as well as my family. In Indian society, women are traditionally discriminated against and are excluded. However, in the last decades, the situation of women in India has greatly improved. Women in India have gradually started recognizing their true potential. Women have started questioning the rules laid down for them by society. As a result, they have started breaking barriers and earned a respectable position in the world. Today, Indian women have excelled in each and every field from social work to visiting space station. There is no arena, which remains unconquered by Indian women. Whether it is politics, sports, entertainment, literature, technology everywhere, its women power all along. The most important aspect is to change the mindset of the people that women can also make good entrepreneurs. People should be more supportive of them to start their entrepreneurial journey and should pressurize them less to start a household.
Aditi Olemann, Co-founder at Myelin Foundry
Aditi Olemann, Co-founder at Myelin Foundry
I have seen a similar scenario in STEM, where there are far fewer women than what one should expect. It is a societal issue and not a skills issue. However, I think it is changing and in 10 years’ time, we will see an equal number of women taking the entrepreneurial leap of faith.
Shobhana Sriram- Co-Founder and CTO of Quick Ride
Shobhana Sriram, Co-Founder and CTO of Quick Ride
Starting your own company, especially in a fast-moving startup world is extremely challenging for anyone as it requires initial funding and being able to breakeven. Even the uncertainty of success sometimes makes the foray into business challenging but this problem is compounded for women, especially married women, who cannot overlook the primary responsibilities of looking after the family and home or have to deal with the lack of access to appropriate networks and safety in public places. This is more so in the initial stages of business and tends to ease out as the business develops and grows. Women must learn to tough it out, especially in the formative years of the business.
Barkha Bhatnagar Das, Co-Founder at Greendigo
Barkha Bhatnagar Das, Co-Founder at Greendigo
For starters, the declining sex ratio of India, the world’s second-most populous country, is itself very dismal. Furthermore, lack of the right skillsets and professional mentorship coupled with limited access to networks and finance are some of the factors responsible for women dropping off from the entrepreneurial bandwagon. Apart from this, stereotypical societal biases and discriminatory behavior adversely impact the confidence levels amongst women resulting in many of them suppressing their entrepreneurial ambitions.
Tina Garg, CEO at Pink Lemonade
Tina Garg, CEO at Pink Lemonade
To me it’s a mix of access, culture and capability. Women get left behind in the responsibilities of managing a home. They drop out due to cultural reasons around matrimony, motherhood, elder care, etc. Gradually their abilities and confidence wane. Their networks begin to fade. Again due to culture and financial restrictions, access to infrastructure, opportunities, capital, mentoring, etc. take a dip. Time investments in a startup are immense. Not all women may be able to do that with a double responsibility of a home. Naturally, some dreams fade away and we see fewer women take the risks. However I do see more and more younger women take the leap and am pleased to see this.
Ghazal Alagh, Co-founder at Mamaearth
Ghazal Alagh, Co-founder at Mamaearth
Yes, unfortunately this is the case. While many women possess the necessary skills and talents required to run a startup, not many actually end up doing it. Socio-cultural barriers, living in a male dominated society and lack of financial support are some of the factors that hinder Indian women to take up entrepreneurship.
This might sound harsh, but true from my space of work. Because their families and husbands or boyfriends mostly never support them. In my career of being a divorce monk, I have seen so many women settling for teaching jobs, home tuitions, craftwork, cooking help, etc while these were not their dream jobs. Every job has its importance in our society and there is a tribe that would lovingly do it. But mostly we force-fit women in jobs and roles where they have to meet certain criteria of being in a family and giving their careers a back seat.
No job comes without prejudices, but being a women in the entrepreneur field has an exceptionally higher rate of prejudices than any other. These answers by women entrepreneurs further explain it. We hope this changes your mindset about working women.
Ashwini
Yash Gupta
