There is a change in the air as more women find the courage to lay the groundwork and head innovative enterprises. Without doubt, entrepreneurship is the new dimension of women’s freedom today.
For the Indian woman, opportunities seem like the stuff of dreams. Entrepreneurship is the brand new light at the end of the tunnel. While Mumbai will soon see Tata Tie Stree Shakti hold a seminar headed by a core group of high-profile panelists, including Chanda Kocchar of ICICI Bank, Anita Ramachandran of Cerebrus Consultants, Bharti Jacob of Seed Fund, etc., entrepreneurship workshops are a regular in Bangalore—companies like iReboot and courses like IIM-B’s MPWE (Management Program for Women Entrepreneurs) being proof of the change.
Comparing the present scenario to when she was starting out, Anita says, “Finance was a big issue in our time. But now there are banks that are willing to lend money. Moreover, women are secondary earners now.” Her consultation firm Cerebrus is 15 years old. Neelam Chibber, co-founder of Indus Tree Crafts Foundation and managing director of Mother Earth, agrees: “When you are not the sole breadwinner of your family, it allows you to concentrate on the project without having to worry about putting food on the table.”
Anita feels Indian women are fortunate in the support they receive. “It is a different environment in the West. In India, the woman can rely on so many members of the household. Entrepreneurship is not a stigma anymore.”
India might have opened up opportunities previously unthinkable by a woman but Priya Parab, founder of Vihaan Natural Healthcare, and Kairon Shaiva, who founded Idobro, a trading and marketing platform for social and environment-friendly products, say there is a difference when women decide to take the plunge.
“India has a long way to go in that respect. Initially, women are not taken seriously,” says Priya, whose search for the perfect health drink for her children resulted in her making her own product, Strombs. Her belief that traditional recipes are a powerhouse of goodness led to more research, testing the product among friends, before introducing it in the market. Now, Priya is charting plans for Strombs to enter other cities. Laughing, she reveals that she did not tell her family when she quit her full-time job: “I was at the factory site the next morning. When my family saw that I meant business, they supported me. Till then they said I could do it on the side. But you are expected to run the household just as well.”
Kairon knows the feeling only too well, “When a guy quits his job to start a business, he is not questioned.” She quit her job with GAI (Great American Insurance) for Idobro. “Every one asked why I couldn’t run it like a part-time venture. Indeed, it takes a while before people accept that you do something because you are passionate about it. It helps to have a mentor too.”
Being your own boss also has its perks, like flexible timings. Anita says she often finds women being consumed by their responsibilities to the family. “An entrepreneurship business is ideal for working from home.”
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