How Make In India dream is nurtured by women entrepreneurs

For most people Make In India is a lion. For me it's a lioness. For India's big opportunity as well as empowerment lies with the women who are driving the businesses. These industries are big and small, from home or an office, virtual or on the shop-floor.

Ananya Birla runs India's third largest micro-finance outfit called Svatantra. Every other week she is in another village, understanding how her clients (read small, unorganised, often self-help groups and many times women) are utilising their funds. We are speaking just a day after her return from Amravati. "We call it microfinance 2.0, lending small loans to many many people and integrate that with technology," she explains. "When I go down and talk to our clients, they are very happy with these, which is inspiring and refreshing." They lend to loans to tailors, farmers, housewives depending on their businesses. "Women in these places are very enterprising," notes Ananya after her efforts have multiplied over the country with the effort. I ask her if she sees this effort turning into a full-fledged bank. "That is the aim without forgetting the roots of who we actually are," says the entrepreneur whose ambition is to grow Svantantra into a cashless economic powerhouse, lending via banks or microfinance outlets of the parent.

There's Devita Saraf whose VU Technologies is turning 10 even before she is 35. She's selling high end televisions from Maharashtra to Manipur. "Never underestimate your customer," she says citing how India's appetite for luxury is growing. Another female founder, Uma Reddy of Hitech Magnetics in Bangalore is an electrical engineer running a company that manufactures transformers. These are just examples of women in traditional businesses. Then there are champions of digital, branding and ideas.

Radhika Chopra of Three Clive Road is making stationery and teas and candles. There's Siddhi Karnani of Parvata foods big into farming and organic produce in Sikkim or Raka Chakrabarti of Gourmet Delight specialising in urban city organic produce. The breadth of businesses women are involved in, is wide-ranging and impactful.

"Women entrepreneurs have an edge over male entrepreneurs," says Niti Ayog CEO Amitabh Kant. He insisted that this is going to radically change the story of the country's future and its approach to creating economic value.

"They will outperform for several valid reasons. Women leaders in India have a better feel of the household spending patterns. They understand consumer perspective better. They have a way of building trust with customers, shareholders, etc. Also, there is a great level of diversity when women occupy top positions."

Harnessing the power of women could change the growth matrix says a KPMG report. "Given the current economic scenario, some of the key national imperatives to propel India into the next wave of growth include creating employment opportunities for special segments such as women workforce."

Women are at the heart of the country's manufacturing, digital and service boom. For me, putting an idea to work is making in India.