'#mPower Business Women Meet' hosted by U.S. Consulate Kolkata and Contact Base held in Guwahati

The event aimed to enhance the capabilities of women-led enterprises and women collectives in expanding their businesses.

“Entrepreneurship can play a key role in improving the economy by giving a voice and greater representation to women in leadership roles.  Women are sometimes unaware of the potential they harbour within themselves."

"With the right mentoring and encouragement, they are sure to shine as confident, smart and successful businesswomen, who have the strength and capability of making a mark for themselves in the business world," stated  Juan Clar, Deputy Director of the American Center Kolkata.

Enabling entrepreneurship among women is crucial to enhance their economic potential, but they often face challenges such as limited resources, higher risk factors, lack of marketing, management and financial skills, and compliance costs.

To address these issues and promote women's workforce participation in South Asia, the U.S. Consulate General Kolkata and Contact Base, a social enterprise based in Kolkata and Dibrugarh, are collaborating on a project.

The initiative aims to create solution-based support networks that empower women in leadership roles in business and workplaces across India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.

During the "mPowerBusinessWomen Meet" at Assam Startup- the nest on April 17, business mentors provided guidance on the use of technology to streamline business processes and shared information about government schemes and funding opportunities available for rural women clusters and women-led startups.

Women-led startups were given the opportunity to present their businesses through an Elevator Pitch, which was evaluated by experts and mentors.

The experts also provided suggestions on how to effectively pitch a business to investors. The event showcased posters displaying business offerings and visions.

About 50 women-led businesses and startups from Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Meghalaya participated in the event, and 15 experienced business mentors and experts conducted sessions and engaged in one-on-one interactions with the women entrepreneurs in five consultation camps.

Each of these camps focused on different aspects of entrepreneurship, such as branding, go-to-market strategies, fundraising, operations and logistics, and sales and customer acquisition.