The Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP), an initiative by NITI Aayog, launched its first State Chapter in Telangana on Tuesday. The launch event took place in Hyderabad in the presence of BVR Subrahmanyam, CEO of NITI Aayog; Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary of the Telangana IT department; Sangita Reddy, Co-Chair of WEP and JMD of Apollo Hospitals Group; Anna Roy, Mission Director of WEP; and Sita Pallacholla, CEO of We Hub. The WEP Telangana Chapter aims to promote and support women entrepreneurs across various sectors by providing them with access to resources, tools, and a network to enhance their business growth.
The platform offers customized support such as digital skilling, access to financial services, mentorship, and market linkages. Mr. Subrahmanyam emphasized the importance of women’s entrepreneurship for India’s economic future.
He noted women entrepreneurs’ challenges, particularly concerning finances, mentoring, and marketing, and how the WEP and its State Chapters will help elevate women-led businesses. Mr. Ranjan announced that WE Hub CEO Sita Pallacholla would be the mission director of the WEP Telangana Chapter.
WEP Telangana state chapter launch
Ranjan announced that WE Hub CEO Sita Pallacholla would be the mission director of the WEP Telangana Chapter. He also informed that the government will set up WEP’s physical and virtual presence at the Mandal level, providing a single point of support for women interested in entrepreneurship. Ms. Reddy stressed the critical role of mentoring in the success of any business, highlighting it as a key component of the new initiative. She also advised linking WEP with Tech Equity, a Google-supported initiative offering technology training for entrepreneurs. Anna Roy informed the gathering that the platform is now available in ten regional languages, including Telugu.
She reiterated that WEP’s Telangana Chapter is based on a Hub and Spoke model, aiming to expand to other states and the mandal level to build a robust network. Since its launch in 2018 by the Government of India, WEP has successfully onboarded 30,000 women entrepreneurs and their groups as members. The launch of the WEP Telangana Chapter marks a significant step in fostering and supporting women entrepreneurship in the state and potentially across the nation.
