Director’s Message

March marks the International Women’s Day and this day of recognition and collective action is as important now as it has ever been. Even though we have come a long way in our fight for gender balance and the efforts have reaped tangible outcomes, the gender divide in terms of number of male and female entrepreneurs is still the order of the day.

NSSO, in its 6th Economic Census, revealed that only 14% of business establishments in India are owned by women and most of the women-run enterprises are small-scale. This alludes to the fact that SME industry provide an enabling environment for women to start up, perceptibly because of the less amount of investment required.

A study by McKinsey predicts that India can add $770 Billion to its annual GDP by 2025 by advancing women equality. To help India unlock the potential power of parity, SME industry can nurture women by dismantling gender biases in hiring process, providing skill training to female employees, closing gender gap in leadership roles, promoting flexible working and by rolling out digital literacy initiatives at workplace. Besides this, SMEs can train and equip women as entrepreneurs in their supply chains and distribution channels.

We, at SMBConnect, are dedicated to encourage women entrepreneurs in order to create a gender-diverse business world that fosters innovation and creativity. Successful launch of Advaita-Women Entrepreneur Awards bears testimony to our commitment towards diversity and inclusion. We have planned to organise the subsequent chapters of Advaita awards in various states this year starting with Punjab, Chandigarh & Haryana, the nominations for which are currently open.

I thank all the wonderful women who are associated with SMBConnect and who work alongside us to make the world a more balanced place. Let’s continue to collectively advocate for change, to challenge stereotypes and to push for tangible action.

Best Regards,
Sandipan Ray