WER Week Wrap: Women Steering Growth Across Industries and Institution

By: Women Entrepreneurs Review Team | Friday, 10 July 2026

Progress is no longer measured solely by economic growth or policy reforms—it is increasingly reflected in the women who are shaping boardrooms, courtrooms, startups, research institutions, and playing fields.

Across sectors, women are moving beyond participation to become architects of change, influencing decisions that impact businesses, communities, and the future of society.

This week's edition of WER captures this evolving narrative through stories of leadership, innovation, and resilience. Governments are creating policies to enhance financial inclusion and rural livelihoods and businesses are embedding women at the heart of digital transformation and strategic growth.

Investor trust in women-led businesses is growing; community initiatives are fostering the next generation of entrepreneurs; and landmark judicial, defence and sporting victories are changing the face of representation at the highest levels.

These stories lie in the fact that they are about an increasing focus on inclusive leadership, sustainable development and equal participation in the creation of tomorrow's world.

Public Policy: Governments Accelerate Women-Centric Welfare and Inclusive Development through New Policy Initiatives

Indian and BRICS Governments are further strengthening the socio-economic empowerment of women through targeted welfare programs, institutional reforms, livelihood programs, and capacity building programs.

In the city of Delhi, the government is essentially ready to launch Mahila Samriddhi Yojana on August 28, wherein eligible women from the economically weaker sections of society will get ₹2,500 per month through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme. With a budget of ₹5,110 crore, the scheme is likely to impact almost 20-22 lakh women and also drive financial inclusion through a clear digital platform.

During the Ministerial Meeting in Kochi, the member countries of the BRICS group signed the first-ever Joint Statement under the BRICS Women Track, which went beyond financial aid. Two digital initiatives were also launched by India to promote dialogue, inclusion, entrepreneurship and women-led development—BRICS Women Digital Repository of Best Practices and Digital Capacity Building Guidelines.

At the state level, Chhattisgarh has again affirmed women empowerment as a development priority with the first anniversary of its community radio-based project 'Didi Ke Goth' by Raipur CM Vishnu Deo Sai, which is continuing to build villagers' self-help groups by providing financial literacy, entrepreneurship, information about digital literacy and government welfare schemes to the rural population.

Additionally, Telangana has enhanced the involvement of women in disaster governance by conducting trainings for Civil Defence volunteers on disaster response, disaster rescue operations and fire safety training, which increased community resilience and enabled a higher representation of women in the civil defence.

Meanwhile, Karnataka has been promoting the Matsya Sanjeevini Scheme that allows for women Self-Help Groups to build sustainable livelihoods through fish farming, with training and subsidizing to women and market support.

These programs collectively represent a paradigm shift in public policy on financial security, digital inclusion, livelihoods, leadership development and institutional engagement, thus strengthening women as key actors in inclusive and sustainable national development.

Programs, Initiatives & Community Development: New Initiatives Expand Opportunities for Women Entrepreneurs

India and the world over have seen women-focused initiatives bolster entrepreneurship, addressing both skill development and financial inclusion, as well as providing sector-specific support.

ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Goats (ICAR-CIRG) has unveiled four Model Goat Villages to encourage scientifically sustainable goat farming by women, to improve the lives of rural people, nutrition security and market access with the help of research and innovation. Building on these rural development initiatives, the Indian School of Business (ISB), in collaboration with the ANSR Foundation and the SAFA Society, has introduced EmpowHer for women entrepreneurs in Hyderabad to impart financial literacy, digital skills, mentorship and business growth skills to women-led micro-enterprises.

Burns & McDonnell India along with NASSCOM hosted a forum ‘Women Leading the Future of Engineering', where industry leaders discussed artificial intelligence, inclusive leadership, mentorship, and grooming the next generation of women engineers.

International design-led startup studio Edition is extending its momentum to the global stage with applications now open for its 2026 Female Founder Grant, which provides an additional $15,000 worth of consulting services for women entrepreneurs in Australia and New Zealand.

All of these are part of a broader focus on how to increase the capacity, leadership opportunities, innovation, and sustainability of businesses in which women entrepreneurs are involved to create a more robust entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Industry Update: Digital Innovation Accelerates Women-Led Business Growth

The digital economy is opening fresh avenues for growth for women entrepreneurs, women professionals, and consumers in India with increased adoption of fintech, cross border trade, and e-commerce. Technology is playing a pivotal role in bolstering financial inclusion and business operations as more than 50 percent of the rural women earners are using UPI and 84 per cent of women entrepreneurs are using digital payments, according to a DBS Bank India report.

In this regard, Pay10, a fintech platform, is driving the participation of women entrepreneurs in Tier II, III, and Tier IV cities in the MSME ecosystem, giving them a platform to reach the global market with ease and efficient cross-border payment solutions. Women entrepreneurs are responsible for almost 8 per cent of India's exports and digital infrastructure makes commerce to other countries simpler, more compliant and more scalable.

Myntra saw a 50 percent year-on-year increase in women's occasions wear during the wedding season, in line with the overall digital transformation, with the demand for D2C ethnic brands increasing. The move into Tier II and Tier III cities, the use of AI based recommendations and celebrity collaborations are just some of the ways technology is transforming India's fashion and women-led business landscape.

Appointments & Leadership Changes: Women Leaders Taking the Helm across Sectors

Another week in leadership transitions, as some top hires made the rounds in the tech, hospitality, retail, fintech, academia and public policy sectors.

A growing convergence of politics, education and policy leadership is being witnessed as Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi broadened her political agenda by assuming the added roles of being a faculty member at O.P. Jindal Global University and leading ORF's Women-Led Futures initiative.

JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa has appointed Shagun Sethi as Director of Sales & Marketing and Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre and HICC are introducing Malabika Das as the Director of Sales, both of whom will drive commercial growth in the MICE, corporate events, weddings, and leisure categories.

To strengthen its leadership team, IKEA India appointed Jessamine Avila as Chief Marketing Officer to drive localization-based marketing strategies, and accelerate omnichannel expansion and customer engagement. For telecom, Nokia appointed Priya Narayanan as the Client Chief Technology Officer, to lead its innovation initiatives in 5G, 6G, artificial intelligence (AI)-driven networks, and cloud-native telecom infrastructure, to help power next-generation connectivity.

Al Shirawi Facilities Management has promoted Veena KrishnaMurthy as its Deputy General Manager in addition to her existing role as the Head of Human Resources. In her dual roles, she will make sure that the human resource strategy of the organization is being executed while helping in its operations and future growth strategies.

Stashfin, a fintech firm, on the other hand, has named Vaishali Tyagi as Deputy Vice President and Head HR, where she will oversee talent strategy, organizational transformation and employee development efforts that support the company's long-term growth goals.

The new leadership reshuffle shows a trend of the industry towards sustainable growth, digital transformation, and organizational excellence, in a move that reflects the current changes in the industry.

Startup Spotlight: Women-Led Startups Strengthen Growth through Finance and Strategic Partnerships

India's entrepreneurial ecosystem is strengthening and strategic investments are being put into women-led businesses, making them a crucial force in shaping the country's economic future. The credit gap in India's MSME sector is estimated to be in the range of around ₹30 lakh crore with women entrepreneurs being the least served. Experts note that access to credit, mentorship, digital skills and market opportunities will still be crucial for the continued growth of women-owned MSMEs, which now make up almost 38% of the total number of MSMEs registered under Udyam.

Actor Kareena Kapoor Khan also became a strategic investor in homegrown footwear brand Fizzy Goblet,  to support the company's domestic and global expansion plans. All these factors highlight a crucial need for financial assistance, collaboration and innovation in the sustainable growth of women entrepreneurs.

Funding, Investments & Business Growth: Women-Led Innovation and AI Startups Attract Strong Investor Confidence

Neothera, Avni Wellness and Alta have all demonstrated the increased demand for science-driven health care and AI-driven business solutions from investors. Neothera has raised ₹9 crore in pre-seed funding from Blume Ventures to fuel its technology, research and clinically proven acne care platform with a focus on radical solutions for the root cause of chronic skin conditions.Founded by Radhika Agarwal.

Avni Wellness, the Mumbai-based company founded by Sujata Pawar, secured ₹4 crore in seed round of Proteus Partners and other investors to support its women's health vertical, digital commerce and scale its women-led entrepreneurship ecosystem, and make science-backed menstrual and hormonal health more accessible to all Indians.

Moving beyond health care, Israel-based AI startup Alta announced that it has raised $25 million in its Series A round to help jumpstart its product innovation and global expansion. It's using artificial intelligence to change marketing and sales processes for businesses around the globe.

These funding rounds are a testament to the growing investor confidence in startups that are innovating, leveraging technology and purpose to meet new consumer and business demands, and drive long-term growth.

Achievements & Milestones: Women Breaking New Ground Across Institutions

Women continued to redefine leadership and representation across professional, legal, defence, and global corporate spaces through a series of landmark achievements. The Chamber of Tax Consultants appointed CA Neha Rajen Gada as its first woman President in nearly a century, reflecting growing inclusivity in professional institutions.

In the judiciary, Justice V. Mohana was felicitated by the Madras Bar Association for becoming the first woman from Tamil Nadu to be directly elevated to the Supreme Court, while also launching an endowment lecture series honouring eminent legal stalwarts.

Amidst the list of milestones, Major Navya Shekhawat, the Indian Army's first woman officer, is serving as Aide-de-Camp to the President of India – yet another feather in the military's cap for women.

This global trend continued with Bahrain's Maria AlAwadhi who became the first Bahraini female to join McLaren Racing for a year's internship, demonstrating the opportunities opening up abroad for young women and the rising profile of female talent in a wide range of areas.

Sports Central: India's Women's Deaf Team Creates Historic Cricket Milestone

In women's cricket, there were great achievements at the grassroots and at the top level. The Women's Deaf Cricket Team of India broke history in the first-ever international T20 match against Sri Lanka at Moratuwa and made significant strides towards inclusive cricket and preparation for the 2028 DICC Women's T20 World Cup in Delhi.

In the big arena, Australia continued its supremacy to beat England with a whopping seven wickets at Lord's to secure the record seventh ICC Women's T20 World Cup. Australia ended their unbeaten campaign in the Women's T20 World Cup with a fascinating match-winning unbeaten 64 by Beth Mooney, giving the game a high point and highlighting the ongoing progress and competitiveness of women's cricket globally.