Meta, the social media giant, previously known as Facebook, has partnered with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) to support five lakh women who run micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across India. The initiative is a part of Meta’s #SheMeansBusiness programme, and will focus on providing access to capital and relevant digital tools for women-led MSMEs.
The announcement by Meta was made during the first National Women Entrepreneurship Summit, another initiative by the company to encourage dialogues among industry leaders regarding the promotion of MSMEs across all sectors. As per a statement made by Meta, out of over 64 million small businesses in India, almost 20 per cent are women-owned, and this highlights the need for greater equity in the industry—an aim that FICCI-FLO has also been working towards.
“Together with FICCI, Meta will address the barrier to access right digital tools and resources by offering easy access to tools, programmes and resources by Meta to women entrepreneurs in India. With this partnership, Meta will extend its support via three initiatives, Facebook Business Coach, Grow Your Business Hub, and Meta’s Commerce Partners Program,” the statement said.
“We are hopeful that Meta’s pledge to support five lakh women-owned businesses will create a supportive ecosystem for women and inspire them to become contributors to the overall development of the country,” said Narayan Rane, the Union Minister for MSMEs. He also added that digital adoption through social media platforms has helped many businesses grow, and the same can help women-led MSMEs grow as well.
FICCI-FLO’s Empowering the Greater 50 is an ambitious women empowerment mission with a focus on enhancing the entrepreneurial and leadership skills of women, and FICCI president Sanjeev Mehta said that the partnership with Meta will only empower FICCI-FLO’s targets. “India Inc stands committed to this cause,” he said. “Our partnership with Meta will encourage more women to take up entrepreneurship by providing them with all the necessary support.”
*Image used for representative pourpose.