Always aim high, work hard, and care deeply about what you believe in. And, when you stumble, keep faith. And, when you’re knocked down, get right back up and never listen to anyone who says you can’t or shouldn’t go on. – Hillary Clinton
Among the most far-reaching changes effected by the Narendra Modi government has been the Startup India movement, which aims to make India a startup hub in the coming years. The startup ecosystem has, however, been besieged with avoidable bureaucratic issues lately. The harassment that Pushpinder Singh of foodtech startup Travelkhana has had to face is too well-known to bear a repetition.
Yet, the statrtup - and indeed the entrepreneurial - ecosystem has many pluses that need to be highlighted. A belated attempt to encourage women entrepreneurs has taken wings, with measures like preferential treatment to women under Mudra loans being some of the welcome governmental initiatives.
Women should ideally be half of the workforce, and we know this fully well that despite the best intentions, many companies today don’t even have one woman director. Yes, stories of women innovators and entrepreneurs keep tricking from all corners of the country, and the trend needs to be encouraged and taken forward.
Doing our bit, BW Businessworld and our statrup vertical BW Disrupt felicitate, in this special issue of BW Businessworld, women leaders who are influencing and changing the face of the Indian entrepreneurial and startup ecosystem.
After a rigorous jury process, we showcase 14 women leaders you should watch out for.
Among these, Falguni Nayar, the founder & CEO of Nykaa and Neerja Birla, the founder & chairperson of Mpower, stand out. To recognize their efforts and the role they have played in contributing to a larger growth picture in India, Nayar and Birla have been awarded BW Disrupt Woman Entrepreneur of the Year 2019 and BW Disrupt Inspirational Woman Entrepreneur of the Year 2019 respectively.
I am sure the issue will give you major entrepreneurial goals!
In the last issue of BW Businessworld, we asked the question whether the incoming government at the Centre in 2019 will be able to keep up the promises of “Santa Modi”. Now that the PM Modi has laid bare his election manifesto, we do a survey among industry leaders that throws up some very interesting findings. Stand-in Finance Minister Piyush Goyal, for instance, gets a very positive rating from the industry. In this issue of BW Businessworld, industry captains also write on what they think of the Budget prescription.
The post-Budget debate and survey are part of the third Cover of the current issue of BW Businessworld.
On our second Cover, we have V Vaidyanathan. We ask the question whether he will prove the proverbial long-distance runner, banking as he is on the Capital First merger with IDFC Bank.
This issue also has a very special interview with Vedanta founder Anil Agarwal who outlines his vision for the company and the country.
All in all an issue that you will enjoy.
Do keep writing in your feedback.
Happy reading!