Despite a patriarchal attitude that persists throughout much of the country and negative stereotypes when it comes to women in business, there has been rise of female entrepreneurship in India in recent decades. However, there is a long way to go, and women still struggle to obtain funding in an investing and business world dominated by men–and biased attitudes. Only 9 percent of the 800 or so startups founded each year in India are led by women.
thequint.com – It was a cracking idea. The market was ready and she could gauge a customer base. The research was air-tight and she found a team that agreed to work. But, the problem was with her. She was a woman and that matters in the exclusive, harsh, male-dominated world of investors.
More than 800 startups join the Indian ecosystem every year. On an average, three to four startups are registered every day. The figures may be celebratory in nature, but out of this, only 9 percent are led by women.
Sounds unlikely but in the business world, even company heads need to pass a “sex-determination test”. Many women founders and startup leads in India accept that they face gender-discrimination from venture capitalists and investors during funding.
Thirty-one-year-old Priyanka Agrawal always wanted to be an entrepreneur.
“I had a ‘keeda’ within me to prove to a typical Indian Marwari mindset that women can build a source of income independently through their own ventures. When I decided to start something of my own, the one and only rule I made was to not take help from my dad.”
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