Director’s Message
Sandipan RayFounder- SMBConnect
It is an auspicious and a thrilling month for all of us at SMBConnect, for the seeds of an idea that were sown at the beginning of this year are finally bearing fruits. Advaita- women entrepreneur awards, to be held on 25th of this month at Hotel Hilton in Jaipur, are now just a few days away.
And, now that we are on the cusp of ushering in a change, it gives us inexplicable joy to recount how the entire idea took shape and became a reality bit by bit. The recognition that women in India have broken the barriers of social compliance and have progressively put their steps at par with men in the business arena kindled us to push forward the idea of Advaita awards. And the time was ripe! The fillip that women entrepreneurship gained in the recent years made the climate favourable for new entrepreneurs to venture in.
New women entrants in the business ecosystem can now leverage the quality mentorship and women-exclusive funds. It is comparatively easy for them to interact with angel investors and to develop solutions to complex societal problems. Our advisory services do just that, that is, create sustainable opportunities for entrepreneurs with a tilt towards women entrepreneurs.
With the digital lending space scaling new heights, the gap between credit and finance needs of women entrepreneurs has also been bridged to a large extent. The newbies also have better avenues to explore technology-driven models to resolve deep-seated issues that the world is replete with.
The only elements missing from the mix of leverages available to women entrepreneurs in the contemporary business world are empowerment, confidence, recognition and appreciation. Through Advaita awards, we sought to fix these missing pieces and here we are today, just a few days away from seeing our vision materialise.
It is exhilarating that the Advaita awards are coinciding with the pious month of October which is synonymous with Navaratri and worshipping of goddess Durga- the embodiment of strength, power, positive energy, courage and fearlessness. We hope that the traits of Goddess Durga resonate with all the women attempting to venture into the untrodden territories of entrepreneurship.
We are just beyond overwhelmed with the number of nominations we have received over the span of one month. And, the media coverages we have garnered in the renowned newspapers of Rajasthan have filled us with immense confidence and pride.
Best Regards,
