The Week That Was: Empower Women, Startup Ecosystem & More

By: WE Staff | Sunday, 19 October 2025

This festive season, as lights dazzle across homes and streets, a brighter spark shines within the unstoppable rise of Indian women. From boardrooms to bustling markets, from rural enterprises to tech startups, women are redefining what empowerment truly means. Once bound by societal roles, they now lead with innovation, compassion, and courage, proving that progress is not just a privilege but their right. Government initiatives like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, MUDRA Yojana, and women-led SHGs continue to fuel this transformation, empowering women to turn aspirations into achievements. Whether she’s managing a business, leading a team, or creating opportunities for others, the Indian woman today is her own celebration, confident, capable, and limitless.

This week, Women Entrepreneurs Review Magazine celebrates these changemakers whose journeys echo one message: when women rise, India shines brighter.

Actress Samantha Named Joyalukkas's New Brand Ambassador

Joyalukkas has named actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu as its new ambassador. Samantha will represent the jeweler’s craftsmanship and design to a worldwide audience.

This collaboration brings together two well-known entities to represent authenticity. You will see a shared representation of her poise and grace across Joyalukkas' 30-year tradition of mastery, trust and commitment to the world of fine jewellery.

Odisha Government Launches Scheme to Empower Women Drivers

Odisha state government is to start a new scheme to empower women in the driving profession. Intending to work on the tentative name 'Atmanirbhar Mahila Su Vahak' (Ama Su Vahak), the scheme is aimed at providing entrepreneurial opportunities to women working in the transport sector.

Under the scheme, women would be eligible for interest-free loans of up to ₹10 lakh to purchase four-wheeler taxis, thus enabling them to earn a sustainable source of income.

Women-Led Startups Become Key Players in TN Startup Ecosystem

The start-up ecosystem in Tamil Nadu is gaining speed, and is attracting more global attention, having received investment commitments of Rs 127.09 crore at the Tamil Nadu Global Startup Summit (TNGSS) 2025. Women led start-ups are becoming key players in the state’s innovation ecosystem.

Ayesha Mansha Clinches TiE Women MENA 2025 Title at GITEX Global

After MENA pitch finals on October 13, at Expand North Star as part of GITEX Global in Dubai Harbour, TiE Dubai, the regional chapter of TiE Global, announced the winners of the 6th edition of TiE Women MENA 2025.

Ayesha Mansha, founder of Sahl from Saudi Arabia, received the title of MENA winner while Rahaf Aldruby and Seem Alkabbani, co-founders of TarKeys, and were named runners-up. The winners received equity-free grants of AED 70,000 and AED 30,000 respectively.

ICC Women's Cricket WC 2025 Sees Five-Fold Surge in Viewership

The ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 has experienced a massive increase in viewership; five times that of the 2022 tournament. According to information released by the ICC and JioHotstar, the first 13 matches of the tournament have been viewed by more than 60 million viewers.

Searches for Working Women's Hostels in India Rise by 93%

The working-age urban population in India is changing rapidly due to the greater presence and mobility of women workers.

India's largest local search engine, Justdial, has data that suggests searches for working women's hostel accommodation across India increased 93 percent during the period from January to July 2025 as compared to the same period in 2024.