Powering ‘her’ business ambition! NITI Aayog leagues with WhatsApp to promote women entrepreneurs
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New Delhi, Jul. 26: Entrepreneurship is now the backbone of the business ecosystem. India is promoting entrepreneurship with many promotive initiatives. Now, making a concrete effort for enhancing women entrepreneurs, WhatsApp teamed up with NITI Aayog and announced a plan to support and promote women entrepreneurs in India under Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP).
At a press event, WhatsApp said it will introduce events aimed at capacity building for women entrepreneurs. It will also create specific programs to address challenges being faced by these entrepreneurs. The initiative will target registered users of the WEP forum in India.
The Facebook-owned messaging app will also partner with Niti Aayog’s Women Transforming India (WTI) Awards 2019 and provide up to $100,000 for the winners. The WTI Awards are organized by the Niti Aayog in partnership with the United Nations.
The announcement comes as WhatsApp puts the focus on its Business app in India, which it says has seen tremendous adoption from smaller and medium entrepreneurs.
Will Cathcart, Global Head of WhatsApp said, ““It’s our honor to partner with NITI Aayog to help support the future women business leaders of India, Small businesses are the backbone of a strong economy and I am proud of the role WhatsApp can play in helping build the next generation of India’s women entrepreneurs.”
Cathcart added that a recent survey of Indian small businesses on its platform showed that 77% of them said that WhatsApp helps them connect with customers — including in other cities and states. Another 62 % helps them increase sales and is essential for running their business, according to him.
On this occasion, Amitabh Kant, CEO of NITI Aayog said, “India has one of the most vibrant startup ecosystems, and the next big disruptions will be driven by women-led enterprises, with the digital medium being the biggest enabler. This partnership with WhatsApp underlines our mutual commitment to support the aspirations of women entrepreneurs in India”.