Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP)

The Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) is an initiative launched by the Government of India to promote and support women entrepreneurs across the country. It serves as a unified access portal that brings together stakeholders, resources, and support systems to foster female entrepreneurship and enable women to participate actively in the economic growth of India. The platform aims to provide an ecosystem that addresses challenges faced by women entrepreneurs and encourages innovation, collaboration, and inclusivity in the business landscape.

Background and Establishment

The Women Entrepreneurship Platform was launched by NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) in March 2018, following its announcement at the 8th Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) held in Hyderabad in November 2017. The summit, co-hosted by India and the United States, had the theme “Women First, Prosperity for All,” emphasising women’s participation in economic development. The WEP was conceptualised as a digital, interactive, and collaborative platform to bridge gender gaps in entrepreneurship.
The initiative aligns with the government’s broader vision of promoting inclusive growth and empowering women under flagship programmes such as Startup India, Digital India, and Make in India. It also supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 5 – Gender Equality and Goal 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth.

Objectives and Vision

The primary vision of WEP is to build an ecosystem for women-led enterprises by providing them access to knowledge, networks, mentorship, and financing opportunities. The platform functions as a single-window information and resource hub for existing and aspiring women entrepreneurs. Its key objectives include:

• Encouraging entrepreneurship among women by breaking social and structural barriers.
• Facilitating networking opportunities with industry experts, investors, and mentors.
• Offering financial and technical support through partnerships with banks and corporate institutions.
• Providing skill development and capacity-building programmes for business sustainability.
• Recognising successful women entrepreneurs to inspire others through success stories.

The platform is built on three fundamental pillars — Ichha Shakti, Gyaan Shakti, and Karma Shakti — representing motivation, knowledge, and action respectively. These pillars guide the framework of WEP in helping women entrepreneurs from ideation to enterprise scaling.

Features and Functionality

The WEP operates as an online portal that integrates multiple services to simplify the entrepreneurial journey. It provides:

• Information Repository: Centralised access to schemes, grants, policies, and best practices relevant to women entrepreneurs.
• Learning Resources: Courses, webinars, and mentorship programmes for skill enhancement and business management.
• Incubation Support: Connections with incubators, accelerators, and innovation hubs across India.
• Funding and Financial Access: Linkages with government credit schemes, venture capital, and angel investors.
• Community Engagement: Forums for peer interaction, collaboration, and experience sharing.
• Recognition and Awards: Promotion of success stories to encourage entrepreneurship as a viable career option.

Through these features, WEP provides end-to-end support — from the conceptualisation of business ideas to the scaling of enterprises.

Partners and Collaborations

The platform functions through collaborations with a variety of stakeholders from the public and private sectors, including corporates, financial institutions, and non-profit organisations. Partners such as SIDBI (Small Industries Development Bank of India), NASSCOM, FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO), and UN India have played a pivotal role in strengthening WEP’s ecosystem.
Additionally, several knowledge partners contribute to the platform by offering sectoral expertise and mentoring support, while financial institutions collaborate to enhance credit accessibility. The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and Startup India Hub are also closely associated with WEP, enabling greater innovation-driven entrepreneurship.

Programmes and Initiatives under WEP

WEP hosts a range of sub-initiatives and campaigns designed to reach women from diverse backgrounds, including rural entrepreneurs and those from underrepresented sectors. Some key programmes include:

• WEP 3.0: The latest version of the platform, launched in 2021 in partnership with the State Bank of India (SBI), focuses on leveraging technology to reach more women entrepreneurs and improve service integration.
• Women Transforming India Awards (WTI): Organised annually by NITI Aayog, this initiative recognises women who have made remarkable contributions to social and economic transformation.
• Collaborative Mentorship Initiatives: Partnerships with private organisations and academic institutions to provide domain-specific mentorship and training.
• Entrepreneurship Awareness Camps: Conducted in collaboration with industry bodies to promote entrepreneurial thinking among women and girls.

These initiatives not only provide resources but also help build a strong network of women-led enterprises contributing to India’s economic and social growth.

Impact and Significance

Since its inception, WEP has emerged as a transformative platform promoting gender equality in entrepreneurship. Thousands of women have benefited from mentorship, funding, and networking opportunities offered through the portal. The platform has also facilitated collaboration between government agencies, corporate partners, and non-governmental organisations.
Key impacts include:

• Enhanced access to credit and market linkages for women-led businesses.
• Improved representation of women in sectors traditionally dominated by men, such as technology and manufacturing.
• Growth in digital literacy and entrepreneurial awareness among rural women.
• Strengthened ecosystem connectivity between aspiring entrepreneurs, mentors, and investors.

The success of WEP has positioned India as one of the few countries with a national platform exclusively dedicated to women entrepreneurship, contributing to inclusive and sustainable economic development.

Challenges and the Way Forward

Despite significant progress, challenges remain in scaling WEP’s impact across diverse socio-economic contexts. Barriers such as limited digital access in rural areas, cultural biases, and insufficient venture capital funding for women-led enterprises persist. Addressing these challenges requires continued policy support, regional outreach, and enhanced partnerships between government and private entities.