11 women entrepreneurs chosen for Women Entrepreneurship and Empowerment award

New Delhi, July 29

Eleven women entrepreneurs have been shortlisted for cash awards amounting to Rs 25 lakh under ‘Women Entrepreneurship and Empowerment' initiative supported by the Department of Science and Technology, a statement said on Wednesday.

Among the winners are Priyanka Prabhakar who has created STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics based) toys and board games to engage young minds during the coronavirus-induced lockdown, and clocked a sale of Rs 40 lakh.

Another winner, Meghna Gandhi, worked with underprivileged women in Vadodara during the same period and created natural textiles and COVID-19 related accessories, touching a sale of Rs 25 lakh for her venture.

Similarly, Snehal Verma, worked with fishermen of Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, and helped them improve their yield during the pandemic outbreak.

The Women Entrepreneurship and Empowerment (WEE) cohort initiative aims at helping women ranging from college going students to middle-aged housewives to embrace entrepreneurship as a viable and fulfilling career option, the statement said.

It is the country's first-of-its kind initiative to strengthen women's ecosystem at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, supported and sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology, it said.

The cash awards, in the form of a grant totalling Rs 25 lakh, will be presented to the 11 women entrepreneurs, it added. — PTI