International Women's Day: NITI Aayog to launch entrepreneurship platform for women

New Delhi: Government think tank NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog will launch an entrepreneurship platform for women on the occasion of International Women's Day today.The NITI Aayog will launch its Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) on 8 March, on the occasion of the International Women's Day, an official statement said.The NITI Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar, CEO, Amitabh Kant, UN Resident Coordinator in India Yuri Afanasiev and Kailash Kher, along with industry leaders and partners of WEP will be present on this occasion.The Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) would provide a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem where women do not face any gender-based barriers. The platform aspires to substantially increase the number of women entrepreneurs who will create and empower a dynamic new India.

The WEP will provide opportunities to women realize their entrepreneurial aspirations, scale-up innovative initiatives and chalk-out sustainable, long-term strategies for their businesses.It will aim to promote women entrepreneurship by collaborating with various partner organisations, provide industry linkages and partner support to women entrepreneurs and increase the visibility of existing schemes, programmes and services across government and private sectors.It will also develop a national database through a centralised portal for registration of women entrepreneurs.The platform will provide evidence-based policy recommendations to develop a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem.The nominations for the third edition of the Women Transforming India Awards 2018, shall also be opened on the occasion.The theme of this year's campaign is 'Women and Entrepreneurship' which will be launched in partnership with United Nations. The DICE Districts, an initiative that provides innovative financing opportunities for social entrepreneurs will also collaborate. This year's edition will also see winners receive rewards and mentorship, enabled by the WEP.