GIZ Unveils New Women Business Network in Manipur & Nagaland

By: Women Entrepreneurs Review Team | Tuesday, 2 June 2026

GIZ, a German federal development agency’s project, Her&Now expands women entrepreneurship support with dedicated business networks in Manipur and Nagaland.

Focused on fostering and enabling a stronger business ecosystem for women-entrepreneurs, the Her&Now project has engaged with over 800 women across Tier II and Tier III cities in India.

Collaborating with Dhriiti–The Courage Within, the project aims to leverage local expertise to strengthen support systems and maximise growth opportunities for women-led enterprises.

 “GIZ Her&Now’s support programmes over the last 4 years have highlighted the need for all stakeholders to unite and turbocharge women’s entrepreneurship in their region. The women entrepreneur networks aim to address the need for an entrepreneurship ecosystem that can enable women in Northeast India to thrive; an ecosystem that brings business knowledge and skills, access to credit and market linkages, market confidence, capabilities, infrastructure, mentorship, etc. – all on one platform,” stated a press release.

The Women Entrepreneur Manipur Network (WEMN) has been created through a joint venture effort between GIZ Her&Now, Dhriiti, the Investment and Development Authority of Nagaland (IDAN), Startup Nagaland, and other state institutions to build a more inclusive and resilient entrepreneurial ecosystem for women.

Women Entrepreneur Manipur Network is led by a diverse group of women founders, who participated in the Her&Now programme. Established business leaders form the state, creating a collaborative platform for enhance growth and mentorship are also an integral part of the programme.

Key Highlights:

• GIZ expands support for women entrepreneurs in Manipur and Nagaland
• 800+ women founders empowered through Her&Now’s entrepreneurship initiatives
• New entrepreneur networks aim to boost investment and market access

Founder of Dweller Teas and a founding member of WEMN, Elizabeth Yambem, highlighted the organizations’ vision and said that the initiative seeks to create a collaborative community for women founders. They gain easy access support, share knowledge, and collectively advocate for policies that better address the needs of women-led businesses in the state.

Speaking about the launch of these networks, Julia Karst, head of project Her&Now, GIZ said: “We are very proud to be launching the women entrepreneur networks in Northeast India. The networks’ launch marks an opportunity to create a more enabling environment for women entrepreneurs in Manipur and Nagaland, and help accelerate the growth of their businesses. The platform will enable women entrepreneurs to learn from and support each other, and truly thrive.”

Outlining the vision for the Women Entrepreneur Network Nagaland (WENN), Alemtemshi Jamir, CEO of IDAN, laid emphasis that the organization has its full confidence in the women entrepreneurs’ of the state. She also highlighted its commitment to creating investment opportunities, enabling business growth, and supporting collaborative efforts led by GIZ, Dhriiti, and the women entrepreneur network.

As an important part of the long-term strategy of GIZ Her&Now, these networks have been created in order to offer business support, business linkages, investments, and professional networks to female entrepreneurs, which will help fast-track their businesses and create more social and economic impact.