The Indian School of Business’ DLabs, in partnership with the HCL Foundation, has launched DiscoverShe in Bengaluru with a two-day bootcamp. The program is designed to equip 400 women micro-entrepreneurs across urban and peri-urban India with tools for digitisation and business capacity building.

Breakdown:
Context: DiscoverShe focuses on women-led micro-enterprises, a segment often under-served in terms of access to technology, training and networks. By combining ISB’s innovation ecosystem with HCL Foundation’s social impact framework, the initiative seeks to create scalable and sustainable entrepreneurial models.

Angles: The program offers mentorship, digital adoption workshops, and business growth training aimed at improving market access and operational efficiency. Women entrepreneurs are expected to benefit not just from skill-building but also from greater exposure to networks and investors, enabling them to scale their ventures.

What’s Next: The bootcamp marks the beginning of a broader rollout. Over the next year, DiscoverShe will work with participants to track progress, provide follow-up training and connect high-potential entrepreneurs with funding and incubation opportunities.

Why this matters:
Women-owned micro-enterprises contribute significantly to local economies but face systemic barriers to scale. Empowering women through digitisation and capacity-building creates inclusive growth, strengthens MSMEs and supports India’s broader economic and social development goals.

The Big Picture:
Women entrepreneurship is central to India’s growth story. Initiatives like DiscoverShe highlight the shift from charity-driven interventions to ecosystem-based empowerment, where education, technology and funding converge to unlock opportunities for women entrepreneurs.