The National Commission for Women (NCW) has collaborated with the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) to launch an online 'Do Your Venture' module for female entrepreneurs.
The unique programme, which was launched in collaboration with NSRCEL, IIMB's start-up incubator, and IIMBx, its digital learning initiative, has seen active participation from over 1,000 aspiring female entrepreneurs who have been equipped with tools and techniques for generating ideas and encouraging them to launch their own ventures.
This NCW-sponsored course is intended to provide 5,000 aspiring female entrepreneurs with hands-on, action-oriented, systematic, and scientific management lessons for identifying, evaluating, and testing entrepreneurial opportunities.
NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma reaffirmed the Commission's commitment to women's empowerment, stating that the concept of an Atmanirbhar Bharat can only be realised with equal participation of women in the workforce.
“Socio-economic development can be achieved only when women become equal partners in the workforce. The National Commission for Women is proud to have handheld so many women in realising their dream of becoming entrepreneurs. We believe that the beneficiaries of this programme will inspire other women to become self-reliant thereby leading to larger involvement of women in India’s workforce. Together, we will realise the dream of an Atmanirbhar Bharat, led by women,” said Sharma.
NSRCEL at IIMB has also successfully completed the first batch of NCW's Empowering Women through Entrepreneurship programme. Of the 1,773 learners in the batch, 852 completed the online modules of ‘Do Your Venture,' setting a new benchmark of 48% completion rate in an industry where most MOOCs have completion rates of less than 10%.
To encourage participants to complete their submissions, a personal approach was taken. Participants were also encouraged to use discussion forums and other online tools to tap into their peer network. By sharing weekly digests, regular announcements, handouts, and reminder emails, NSRCEL and IIMBx were able to reduce the dropout rate.
The six-week programme, delivered by NSRCEL and IIMBx, is designed to incorporate a strong action philosophy in developing entrepreneurial ideas from common paths taken by successful entrepreneurs, such as idea creation and evaluation. The programme is part of NCW's nationwide initiative to support women entrepreneurs and help them scale their businesses.
