Women's Day: Women Founders on Capital Raising & Collective Support

By: WE Staff

Niharika Jalan, Founder & Chief Growth Officer, Indicold

Niharika is a business professional known for strategic planning and identifying new opportunities, bringing experience in managing B2B clients and operations within the cold warehousing sector.

Initially during your journey, did entrepreneurship feel like a “natural” choice or a deviation from expected gender norms?

Entrepreneurship did not feel like a deviation from gender norms as much as it felt like a deliberate choice to build something meaningful. Growing up in a family where entrepreneurship was a way of thinking, the mindset of taking ownership and building for the long term felt natural. Logistics, however, is traditionally male- dominated, and stepping into cold chain infrastructure required conviction and resilience early on. The focus was never on breaking stereotypes, but on building credible, long-term infrastructure with discipline and clarity. Over time, I realised that competence and consistency naturally reshape perceptions. The journey became less about gender and more about execution, responsibility, and building supply chains that create value not just today, but for the next generation.

Access to capital can be the make or break for founders. Data suggests that raising capital is considerably tougher for women founders. How do you think funding dynamics differ for women-led startups in India?

Funding dynamics for women-led startups in India are steadily improving, but there are still some visible gaps. Women founders are often assessed more cautiously, particularly in capital-intensive sectors where scale, risk appetite, and long-term commitment are closely evaluated. However, the ecosystem is evolving. Institutional investors and global funds are increasingly prioritising governance, execution, and sustainable growth over speed alone. This is creating a more objective and inclusive framework for evaluating founders. As more women build scalable, high-impact businesses across sectors, investor confidence is strengthening. The next decade will not be about access as an exception, but about women-led ventures being seen as mainstream drivers of growth and innovation in India.

How can established women founders/investors support and empower aspiring women founders?

The most meaningful support often comes from access and encouragement. Many early-stage founders don’t lack ideas or capability, but confidence and networks. Established women founders and investors can play a powerful role by opening doors, sharing honest experiences, and normalising both ambition and setbacks.

Mentorship doesn’t have to be formal; sometimes a conversation or a timely introduction makes a real difference. It is equally important to actively sponsor women — to back them, recommend them, and trust them with responsibility. When support turns into shared belief, it builds stronger communities and makes the path clearer for the next generation of founders.