Digital News Guru National Desk:
We Rise Initiative: NITI Aayog & DP World Join Forces to Help Women-Led MSMEs Go Global
- The initiative “We Rise” is a collaboration between NITI Aayog’s Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) and DP World – under WEP’s “Award to Reward (ATR)” framework.
- Its aim: to identify and support high-potential, women-led micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in India, making them export-ready and connecting them to global value chains.
- In its first phase, the programme will work with about 100 women entrepreneurs selected for targeted assistance: mentorship, trade facilitation, global market access (including showcasing at “Bharat Mart” in Dubai’s Jebel Ali Free Zone).
Key Features & Support Mechanisms
- Mentorship & Capacity Building: Women-led businesses will receive tailored guidance on export standards, compliance, branding, international logistics and trade processes.
- Market Access / Global Exposure: Through DP World’s global logistics network, and the platform “Bharat Mart” in Dubai, selected MSMEs will get opportunities to connect with international buyers.
- Public-Private Partnership Model: The approach leverages WEP’s ecosystem (with over 90,000 women entrepreneurs engaged) and DP World’s logistics/trade infrastructure.
- Plug-and-Play Framework (ATR): The “Award to Reward” model is meant to institutionalise scalable collaborations, bringing in multiple stakeholders (government, industry, mentors, networks) to address key bottlenecks for women entrepreneurs.
Why it Matters
- Women-led MSMEs form a vital part of India’s growth story: supporting them helps increase inclusive economic participation, job creation, innovation, and exports.
- Historically, women entrepreneurs face structural barriers: access to finance, market linkages, compliance & legal support, logistics, global trade-readiness. Initiatives like “We Rise” target these gaps.
- By focusing on export readiness and global trade, this shifts the narrative from domestic survival to global scale for women-led enterprises — potentially increasing their share in international business and elevating India’s standing in women-driven trade.
- It aligns with broader national goals: enhancing MSME growth, empowering women entrepreneurs, building “Aatmanirbhar” / self-reliant supply chains that are globally integrated.
Challenges & Considerations
- Selection & Scale: Starting with 100 enterprises is meaningful, but given the large number of women-led MSMEs in India, scaling this initiative will be critical to create broader impact.
- Export-Readiness Complexity: It’s one thing to support a business domestically, and quite another to navigate export standards, international logistics, quality controls, buyer relationships. The mentorship and infrastructure must be rigorous.
- Sustained Support Post-Programme: Beyond initial exposure, sustaining growth, ensuring repeat business, managing cash-flow, and handling global competition remain key.
- Outreach & Awareness: Making sure eligible women entrepreneurs (especially from tier-2, tier-3 cities, and under-represented regions) know about the programme and can access it.
- Measuring Impact: It will be important to track outcomes — how many businesses expand exports, how much value they add, jobs created, how many women entrepreneurs join above the initial 100 etc.
What to Watch Next
- Which sectors the selected women-led MSMEs come from (manufacturing, services, tech, crafts) — the diversity may affect how the global market reacts.
- The timeline and progress of the “Bharat Mart” showcase in Dubai and how many Indian women-led enterprises convert exposure into actual export contracts.
- How the initiative collaborates with other support structures (finance, e-commerce platforms, trade bodies) to build a full ecosystem, not just one off mentorship.
- Expansion plans: Will “We Rise” evolve beyond the initial 100 firms? Will similar initiatives be launched regionally?
- The data on impact: In 6-12 months, what change occurs in export volumes, number of women-led MSMEs scaling up, cross-border trade outcomes.
In Summary
The “We Rise” initiative marks a significant step for women-led MSMEs in India — moving from domestic entrepreneurship to global enterprise. With the combined strength of WEP (under NITI Aayog) and DP World’s trade infrastructure, the programme sets up a promising pathway for scaling, market access and export readiness for women entrepreneurs.
However, its ultimate success will depend on how many businesses it sustainably supports, how well it helps them navigate export logistics and standards, and how widely it scales. If done well, it could become a model for inclusive growth and help set India’s women-led MSMEs firmly on the global map.
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