#MadeByHer conclave for women gets overwhelming response

“Corporate Clients are a game change for women entrepreneurs”

Pune, 12 November 2017: Women entrepreneurs must familiarize themselves with the opportunities to secure funding for their businesses because funding can effectively help them get over the challenge of scaling up and marketing, said Kalpana Unadkat, Vice Chairperson (Maharashtra) of Indian Women’s Network established by Confederation of Indian Industry, here recently.

She was speaking as a keynote speaker at the inaugural session of #MadeByHer – an exclusive conclave for women owned enterprises, hosted by Woman At Work which is India’s leading online media platform for women professionals. The event was held at Hotel Westin.

“It also important that women entrepreneurs get an equal opportunity as suppliers of products to big businesses,” Ms Unadkat said, adding that women entrepreneurs must also learn to use social and digital media for connecting with the community.

Pune’s Commissioner of Police Rashmi Shukla who gave the opening address for the conclave, said women have multiple inherent qualities and strengths which they need to assert to be able to become a successful business person. “Women have great inner strength which they should harness to achieve what they want to achieve in life,” Ms Shukla said.

Pune Mayor Mukta Tilak who inaugurated the event, said it is important that women entrepreneurs extend their business choices and venture into more technology driven products and services. She met 17 women-owned businesses in a vendor-supplier connect session at the conclave and encouraged them to think big. She also recognised #MadebyHer Women Achievers Bharati Barhate, Nabomita Mazumdar and Sonia Konjeti for their contributions to the business landscape.

Rajneesh Kumar, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs at retailer Walmart India, said women entrepreneurs are an important segment of Indian business world as nearly eight million people are employed in businesses set up by women. He said women entrepreneurs should be familiarized with the structure of market access so that their products can reach the wider market. Kumar explained the initiatives of Walmart in India to encourage women entrepreneurs including training programmes and Women Entrepreneurs Development Programmes.