LAUNCH OF SWAYAM A support cell for Women Entrepreneurs & Panel discussion on Challenges faced by Women Entrepreneurs

FLO has created a Consultancy and Mentorship cell – SWAYAM in all its chapters Pan India to provide support to new and existing women entrepreneurs as also aspiring student entrepreneurs, in establishing a new business and enhancing existing ones.

The national launch of SWAYAM was held on September 10, 2015 at New Delhi. Mr. Kalraj Mishra, Hon’ble Union Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India was the Chief Guest and Shri Ravindra Nath, Chairman & Managing Director, NSIC was the Guest of Honour.

Mr. Kalraj Mishra, Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises urged FLO to seek proposals for starting enterprises by women entrepreneurs through the use of social media while urging the organizations to reach out to women’s colleges for consultancy and mentoring of aspiring entrepreneurs in keeping with the Prime Minister’s call for ‘Start-up India, Stand-up India’.

Mr. Ravindra Nath, CMD, National Small Industries Corporation, while quoting from a Dell Women’s Global Entrepreneurship Study, said that that the survey reveals optimism and opportunity for women-owned businesses in India. Women Business Owners in India are feeling confident anticipate a median growth of 90% over the next five years. This compared favorably with that of the US (50%) and the UK (24%).Mr. Nath said that the time was ripe to build synergies between women entrepreneurs and NSIC whose mission was to assist entrepreneurs in availing of credit and marketing, technical and information support to small enterprises. He offered the use of NSIC grounds free of cost for exhibiting the products made by women entrepreneurs promoted by FLO.

In her welcome address, FLO President, Archana Garodia Gupta said, “Mentorship and guidance is a tool that has the potential to help women entrepreneurs grow their businesses, and in some cases change their lives. The objective of SWAYAM is tolink FLO women as mentors to women entrepreneurs in 15 locations Pan India. This linkage will facilitate finance, access to banking & government schemes and help identifying franchise opportunities for potential women entrepreneurs. Panels of mentors have been created for the support and guidance of women entrepreneurs across India.”

The primary objective of FLO is to promote entrepreneurship and professional excellence in women. Swayam is a step further in this direction and will play an important role of connecting women entrepreneurs to the right service providers. The aim is to expedite the processes for women entrepreneurs as also to provide them with the right solutions at a reasonable cost.

FLO has conceptualized and created this dynamic platform, for potential and existing women entrepreneurs to be benefitted from a wide array of mentors:

A. Business Mentors: A panel of FLO members who offer themselves as mentors at no charge, in the area of their profession, or in their industry vertical.

B. Honorary panelists: To provide consultancy on all legal requirements to start a business and subsequently for smooth functioning of the business after the start up.

C. Professional panelists: These will be professionals providing consultancy services to the applicants on their business requirements. A standard reasonable rate can be fixed up for their charges per quarter, based on a discount on prevailing rates in that city. The first round of consultation shall be free of charge.

The concept of Swayam have also been presented to all Colleges and Management Institutes as part of the campus outreach program, so that any student who wants to go for a startup can avail of FLO Swayam services.

Ms. Sucheta N Shah, National Coordinator of SWAYAM, gave details of the SWAYAM initiative, explaining the aims, objectives and modus operandi of the mentorship and guidance cell.

On the occasion, a panel discussion on ‘Challenges Faced by Women Entrepreneurs’ was organized. The discussants were: Ms. Ameera Shah, MD & CEO, Metropolis; Ms. Anisha Singh, CEO & Founder, Mydala.com and Ms. Sumita Ghose, Director, Rangsutra Crafts India Ltd.

The function was also addressed by Ms. Khai Ul Nissa – Director, Verbind (World Trade Centre), who explained how the organisation would support SWAYAM and Ms. Vasvi Bharat Ram, Vice President, FLO.