Smriti Irani Raises USD 2 Million for Women-Owned Businesses

By: WE Staff | Friday, 23 January 2026

• Smriti Irani plans to establish a fund of 100 million dollars for 100,000 women-owned businesses in India
• She spoke at the WeLead Lounge, which was also known as "Tulsi Lounge,"

The former union minister, Smriti Irani, is working to create a USD 100 million fund for 100,000 women-owned small businesses across India. She has already raised USD 2 million in just two days.

Addressing the WeLead Lounge, also known as ‘Tulsi Lounge’-a name chosen after her famous character Tulsi Virani-Irani spoke of the experience of becoming the first gender minister of India in 2024 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and leading an Indian delegation to Davos.

Originally established during the WEG 2024 annual meeting, The Global Good's - Alliance for Gender Equity and Equality was co-founded between the CII (Confederation of Indian Industries) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

This organisation works with the World Economic Forum as a Partner Network. As the Chairperson and Founder of The Global Good - Alliance for Gender Equity and Equality since attending the 2024 World Economic Forum, Irani believes that the goal is to commit ourselves to bringing global awareness to women and equity issues to Davos while enhancing their ability to create more profitable solutions on a larger scale.

Smriti stated that during the first two years since its inception, The Global Good's - Alliance for Gender Equity and Equality has mobilised 21,000 delegates and created replicable best practice examples within Indian Manufacturing, which have been developed to meet the needs of women globally.

She went on to share the launch of a Programme called Spark, designed to create opportunities for 100,000 women-owned businesses across 300 cities in India. Smriti stated that the Spark Programme has been established to attract investment from commercial capital.

It aims to establish a fund of 100 million dollars to provide financial support for these enterprises. She also stated that two million dollars have been raised in the last 48 hours to support India-based women-owned businesses.

In addition, she is aware that few people in politics or acting have been able to do both and that the future will reveal even more from her. "Always expect more from Smriti Irani" was one of her statements regarding the future.