Thinking of a start-up? Zone Startups will 'Empower' you!

Taking a major step towards encouraging women led tech start-ups, Zone Startups India, the entrepreneurship incubation initiative by the BSE, kickstarted the 'Empower' program yesterday. The aim is to sponsor venture ideas in women-led tech start-ups, no matter at what stage of development. It is born out of the belief that women have it in them, they just need some enabling through appropriate support systems. But why the focus on tech? To this Ajay Ramasubramaniam, head of Zone Start-ups India tells ShethePeople.TV:

Tech is an enabler. If you look at core technology businesses, global role models or otherwise, women leaders are there, but they are not doing tech jobs. They are working at tech organizations at Chief executive levels, and hence the general aspiration is also drawn towards those kind of roles, rather than being a coder.

Mr Ramasubramaniam makes a pertinent point. If you look at the entrepreneurship environment today, women led startups largely focus of beauty, food and hospitality. There are hardly any women wearing the techie hat, and it this untapped resource that the 'Empower' program aims to tap into, not just through providing financial, but also mentorship and collaborative support to women at any stage in their career. 

A boost for women in tech: BSE's  Zone Startups launches Empower

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And there was still more good news for women entrepreneurs in the country. The ministry of science and technology, in partnership with Anita Borg Institute and the Indo-US Science and Tech Forum, is sending 5 women entrepreneurs from India for them to understand the nuances of the global business culture, which largely originates from the Silicon Valley. Dr. Anita Chauhan, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, shared the intent of this great initiative with ShethePeople.TV:

The objective is to take all women entrepreneurs from the Indian ecosystem and get them first hand exposure of the Silicon Valley Ecosystem- what the best practices, good practices, how women start-ups are raising funding, getting mentorship support and then based on those learnings, refine and scale up their start-ups.

And why women?

Why women entrepreneurs?!(in a tone which was a mix of ridicule and surprise) 

Because their numbers are so small. They have to actually attain a critical mass, they need to attain that critical mass. We need to attain new successes out of women entrepreneurs. That's why. We are underrepresented.

Also watch: Investing in women is investing in yourself: Alex Schlaubitz 

We couldn't agree more. Any initiative towards filling the gender gap in entrepreneurship is welcome. Let's hope women aspire to make the most of it!

Feature Image Credit: masetv.com