FLO Uttarakhand, in strategic collaboration with Invest Uttarakhand and Startup Uttarakhand, organized a highly impactful session titled “MSME Access: Opportunities for Women” at Hotel LP Vilas in Dehradun. Under the leadership of Chapter Chairperson Tripti Behl, the roundtable aimed to bridge the gap between abstract policy and ground-level execution, equipping women entrepreneurs with the necessary tools, financial incentives, and modern market strategies to scale their businesses.
The event served as an interactive platform where key administrative officials, including Mr. Deepak Murari (Joint Director, Directorate of Industries) and Mr. Akash Sharma (Nivesh Mitra), demystified the process of business formalization. They provided direct guidance on Udyam Registration, statutory compliances, and navigating capital subsidies under the Uttarakhand MSME Policy 2023 and Mukhyamantri Swarozgar Yojna 2.0, enabling grassroots ventures to transition smoothly into the formal economy.
Beyond policy navigation, the roundtable focused heavily on market competitiveness. Mr. Nishant Dobhal (Director & CEO, Mantra Community Pvt. Ltd.) and Mr. N.K. Sharma (Jt. Director, Mantra Community Pvt. Ltd.) led an insightful workshop dedicated to robust brand identity development and scalable commercial strategies. A major highlight of the day was the launch of “Brand in Spotlight,” an exclusive initiative designed under the second phase of the chapter’s “Circle of Influence” framework.
This initiative provides women entrepreneurs with a high-visibility stage to pitch, showcase, and amplify their products directly to potential partners. To ensure the roundtable’s impact extended far beyond a single evening, organizers established a dedicated three-month help desk. This desk provides continuous, hands-on administrative support for ongoing paperwork, banking procedures, and registration hurdles, establishing a truly sustainable growth ecosystem for women-led enterprises.
Key Objectives
- Policy Demystification: To simplify and provide direct access to the Uttarakhand MSME Policy 2023 and Mukhyamantri Swarozgar Yojna 2.0, ensuring women understand how to claim capital subsidies and financial incentives.
- Business Formalization: To guide women through Udyam Registration, moving their ventures from the informal sector to the formal economy to unlock banking and credit benefits.
- Market Visibility & Scaling: To equip members with branding strategies to build a strong market identity. The launch of “Brand in Spotlight” specifically aimed to provide a platform for women to showcase and promote their products.
- Institutional Networking: To bridge the gap between grassroots entrepreneurs and key policymakers from the Directorate of Industries, Invest Uttarakhand, and Startup Uttarakhand.
- Sustained Handholding: To offer long-term operational support rather than just a one-day seminar, achieved by setting up a three-month dedicated help desk to assist women with ongoing registration and paperwork.
Key Takeaways
- An awareness and facilitation session aimed to empower women entrepreneurs with greater awareness of MSME opportunities, government support systems, and pathways for business growth.
- The session commenced with registration and networking, with an on-the-spot registration facility also provided for participants.
- The focus was on the importance and advantages of Udyam Registration, eligibility criteria and the registration process, documentation requirements, and statutory compliances applicable to MSMEs. The session also provided participants with an opportunity to understand the support available to women entrepreneurs.
- A dedicated help desk facility has been made available for a period of three months, enabling women entrepreneurs to seek guidance and assistance with their MSME-related queries and processes.
- The programme further featured a session on branding and market visibility, the importance of building a strong brand identity, improving market visibility, and adopting practical strategies to strengthen and scale a business.
Impact & Outcome
Around 25 attendees participated in the roundtable discussion focused on highlighting MSME opportunities for women entrepreneurs. The session successfully converted government policies into actionable business growth. Also, it encouraged innovation-driven thinking and created opportunities for collaboration across the MSME ecosystem.