The Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) of NITI Aayog has launched an innovative initiative, EmpowHER Biz – Sapno Ki Udaan, in collaboration with New Shop, India’s largest 24/7 convenience retail chain. This dynamic partnership, part of WEP's Award to Reward (ATR) program, is poised to revolutionize women entrepreneurship in the organized retail sector by providing essential resources, training, and opportunities to aspiring women entrepreneurs.
EmpowHER Biz is designed to address the challenges women entrepreneurs face, including gender discrimination, limited access to financial resources, and the absence of credible mentorship and networking opportunities.
Key Features of the program are
• Mentorship and Comprehensive Training: Covering critical aspects of retail management, digital tools, financial literacy, and business development.
• Access to Franchising Opportunities: The top 20 participants will receive a 100% waiver on New Shop franchise fees, significantly lowering entry barriers into the retail sector.
• Targeted Selection Process: Fifty participants, aged 18–35, will be chosen through an online application process, with a focus on candidates from Delhi NCR, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat.
This initiative aims to create a robust retail ecosystem that empowers women entrepreneurs and drives sustainable growth, with an emphasis on fostering confidence and competence in retail business management.
About Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP)
Since its inception in 2018, WEP has evolved from an aggregator platform to a powerful public-private partnership platform in 2022. WEP’s mission is to bridge information gaps and provide holistic support across its six key pillars:
1. Access to Finance: Facilitating funding opportunities for women entrepreneurs.
2. Market Linkages: Building connections to broaden market access.
3. Training and Skilling: Providing industry-relevant training and upskilling programs.
4. Mentoring and Networking: Enabling access to seasoned mentors and networking opportunities.
5. Compliance and Legal Assistance: Simplifying regulatory compliance for women entrepreneurs.
6. Business Development Services: Supporting sustainable business growth through tailored services.
To date, WEP has collaborated with over 30 public and private sector partners to design scalable, impactful programs benefiting women entrepreneurs. Since 2023, the ATR initiative has provided a “plug and play” framework for stakeholders to launch programs like EmpowHER Biz.
Conclusion
EmpowHER Biz exemplifies the transformative potential of public-private partnerships in addressing societal and economic challenges. With such initiatives, India moves closer to realizing its vision of empowering women and achieving sustainable, inclusive economic growth.
