FLO Kolkata, under the leadership of Chairperson Mrs. Mansi Agarwal, 24 women entrepreneurs from the Kolkata Chapter participated in a two-day immersive programme at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) on 10–11 August 2026. The programme was curated under FLO Kolkata’s Financial Literacy, MSME, Startup, Export, and Digital Literacy initiatives to provide women entrepreneurs with an intellectually rigorous and contemporary perspective on business leadership, strategic decision-making, and sustainable growth.
The sessions brought together management thinking, business cases, market perspectives, and practical frameworks, creating an environment conducive to reflection, questioning, and informed decision-making. A key learning emerged around the concept of a strategic inflection point—moments when businesses must reassess their direction and determine what remains non-negotiable.
Participants were encouraged to identify the fundamental principles and values they would not compromise on while remaining sufficiently agile to respond to changing market realities.
The programme placed strong emphasis on market research and evidence-led decision-making. Members reflected on the importance of conducting research with an openness to changing one’s mind when data contradicts existing assumptions.
For both established MSMEs and emerging startups, this reinforced the importance of validating assumptions before committing resources or strategic direction. Financial understanding formed another important dimension, particularly around pricing and perceived value. Participants explored how price communicates positioning and influences perceptions of quality, while recognising the importance of viewing business decisions through numbers, profitability, and scalability rather than intuition alone.
The sessions further explored the power of different perspectives and the importance of asking the right questions before formulating strategy. This encouraged members to challenge conventional thinking, identify opportunities, and examine their businesses from multiple vantage points. The programme also connected strongly with FLO Kolkata’s Digital Literacy initiative by highlighting how digital presence and technology-enabled interventions can support visibility, customer engagement, market access, and business growth.
For entrepreneurs aspiring towards wider and export-oriented markets, these capabilities are increasingly integral to competitiveness and market readiness. The Startup initiative was reinforced through the broader emphasis on entrepreneurial agility, validation, differentiated value propositions, strategic experimentation, scalability, and building businesses capable of adapting to changing market conditions.
Key Takeaways
- Strategic inflection points demand clarity: Know what the business will never compromise on while remaining agile enough to evolve.
- Let evidence challenge assumptions: Market research creates value only when entrepreneurs are willing to change their minds when the data says so.
- Think beyond the day-to-day: View the business through the interconnected lenses of strategy, numbers, scalability, and long-term value.
- Price communicates value: Pricing is not merely a financial decision; it can influence positioning and the customer’s perception of quality.
- Ask better questions: The quality of a strategy is often determined by the quality of the questions asked before making a decision.
- Embrace different perspectives: Diverse viewpoints can challenge conventional assumptions and lead to more robust strategic choices.
- Build for scalability: Particularly for MSMEs and startups, sustainable growth requires strategic clarity, financial discipline, differentiated positioning, and scalable systems.
- Digital presence is now strategic: Digital platforms and technology-enabled interventions can strengthen visibility, consumer engagement, market access, and business growth.
- Prepare for wider markets: Strong market intelligence, differentiated value propositions, digital readiness, and scalable operations are essential for businesses seeking expansion and export opportunities.
- Purpose can amplify enterprise: Entrepreneurial growth can be accompanied by meaningful social impact, creating enterprises that contribute to broader community development.
Impact & Outcome
Around 24 women entrepreneurs benefited from the two-day leadership and strategic business programme at IIM Ahmedabad. FLO Kolkata members got access to a rigorous academic environment and contemporary management perspectives. The engagement created a valuable platform for women entrepreneurs to learn, question, exchange perspectives, and translate strategic insights into actionable business thinking. The IIMA experience ultimately encouraged members to think more strategically, read their numbers more intelligently, question more courageously, and build with greater foresight.