President Murmu Introduces herSTART, a Platform for Female Entrepreneurs in Gujarat

By: WE Staff | Friday, 7 October 2022

The Gujarat University Startup and Entrepreneurship Council (GUSEC) launched herSTART as part of President Droupadi Murmu's mission to assist the scaling up of female-led enterprises. The Gujarat University Startup and Entrepreneurship Council (GUSEC) website provides information about the herSTART platform, which will support female entrepreneurs by assisting the commercialization of their innovative ideas. The platform will also include a digital platform that will offer free resources and training modules to aspiring female entrepreneurs, a digital community, and a digital publication that will share their success stories.

The portal will also feature the President-launched herSTART Incubator, a full-fledged business incubator exclusively for women entrepreneurs and innovators, and the herSTART Accelerator, a year-round accelerator programme for high-impact women-led startups.

In October, the accelerator's application period will begin. In the Global Innovation Index, India has improved its standing from 81st to 40th, according to President Droupadi Murmu. "I am informed that this university has over 450 startups. Out of this, over 125 are headed by women. It is a matter of pride for me to inaugurate the herSTART platform. This will be a bridge for budding entrepreneurs with government schemes and private funds," she said. "Recently, in the Global Innovation Index 2022, India, which was at 81st position earlier, has come up to the 40th position," she further said, underlining the importance of startups. She stated that startups will aid in the creation of new jobs. The Global Innovation Index for 2015 placed India at position 81.

In the most recent rankings, it rose to the forty-first spot. Murmu also dedicated or officially opened a number of educational and tribal development initiatives, including Sainik School, tribal hostels, and schools in outlying regions of the state. Rahul Bhagchandani, Group CEO of GUSEC, was also quoted in the website's press release. He declared, "It is an honour for Gujarat University and GUSEC that Hon'ble President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the herSTART platform. Through a number of focused programmes, we are attempting to harness the unrealized entrepreneurial potential of women. Another step in that direction is the herSTART platform, which we are convinced will inspire more women to found businesses and make their ideas a reality."

President Murmu recognised 10 female-led enterprises and businesses that Gujarat University and herSTART have supported and who have been making a difference in their respective fields via innovation and entrepreneurial interventions.