Entrepreneurship is a buzzword among millennials today. But, there’s also no taking away from the fact that fewer women are willing to make that switch from their 9-5 – only 14 per cent of businesses in India are run by women (which ranks us as one of countries with the lowest women entrepreneurs in the world.) So, what is pulling them away? What are some of the hushed up loops in the system, if at all there are any? With an intent to address all this and more, this year, women’s web brings the 6th edition of its flagship event Breaking Barriers, around the theme of Innovating as Women in Business. The event is to be held on April 21 at the Manyata Embassy Business Park. We chat up with some of the on what to expect…
“I have always believed that it is never about how much we have that makes a difference, but what we choose to do with whatever is offered to us,” begins entrepreneur Vandana Suri, founder, Taxshe. Asserting how her business idea arose out of a similar thought, Vandana elucidates, “It was a challenge, indeed.
The idea of bringing the idea of women drivers into fruition in a country like ours is path breaking by itself. We have brought a new career on an offbeat path solely for the sake of equipping women that needed to support themselves the most. We are all used to seeing or rather putting people into boxes based on their gender and stereotypes are yet to be crushed. So, I will be talking about personal experiences, coupled with practical solutions on how to manage with whatever resource is available.”
Vouching by how important it is for accomplished women to inspire others; Aparna Raman, who runs Timbuktoo publishing, adds, “I hope to inspire women to believe in the innovation that is intrinsic to each one of us. We are adept at problem solving on a daily basis. So I think women entrepreneurs or homemakers or both as the case may be, don’t have to look very far to innovate - it’s in fact within. Our sensitivity and intuition as women is a great strength in workplaces across the world. I will be speaking about my outfit Timbuktoo Publishing in particular and the solo woman model I’ve chosen to adopt with remote staff and a global clientele.”
While the event is a thematic activity, most speakers believe in going with the flow and let the energy of the day take charge. Thinking along similar lines, Lakshmi Priya, an independent leadership coach/consultant and writer says, “I can only offer my own experiences- learnt from watching and experiencing it. While I truly believe in the concept, I am also very close to the other speakers and truly believe in their vision. So, when I was approached to come on board as one of the speakers, I couldn’t say no. I hope to bring in some valuable insight into how women can find time to pursue something they truly love. The intent behind my talk is simple: to give more to the event and women at the it.” Signing off on similar lines, Mridula Sankhyayan, senior director, L&D, Flipkart, concludes, “I percieve this to be a powerful platform to explore ideas for learning, sharing and networking with women who are driven by intentionality of purpose!”
