If We Are Not Able To Get Enough Women Entrepreneurs, We Are In For A Crisis: Mahendra Swarup

India’s workforce is still rooted in the gender debate. While the percentage of women in the workforce is upwards of 40 per cent in the developed countries, in India it is still hovering at around 28 per cent.

According to economic experts, this gender gap at the workforce is one of the reasons why the country has failed to leverage its demographic capital, unlike China.

According to Mahendra Swarup, Founder & Chief Mentor, Venture Gurukool, who has been investing in a number of ventures, many of them started by women, “Gearing up for a new decade of women entrepreneurs is a fact that we need to underline at the public and private level.”

Swaroop believes that entrepreneurship allows women to find a perfect balance between their work and family life. His advice to women entrepreneurs is to know the deep motive of their venture before getting into one. “You need to know why you want to be entrepreneurs. There is no doubt that entrepreneurship will give you that much-needed flexibility and allow you to decide when to give up, when to start and when to stop.”

Swaroop also urged policymakers to address the growing chasm of gender at the workplace. “If we are not able to get enough women entrepreneurs we are in for a crisis and India would not know what to do with 400 million women who are out there seeking jobs if we don't address this issue on priority.”

“We are creating jobs, but they are low-end jobs and you will be surprised that 70 -80 FMCG purchase decisions are made by women. So why can't women develop high-end products by themselves,” he questioned. 

Swaroop was speaking at the second edition of the BW Disrupt Women Entrepreneurship Summit & Awards 2020 in New Delhi.