FICCI FLO, under the leadership of its 43rd National President, Ms. Puja Garg, and in collaboration with MeitY Startup Hub, organized the three-day virtual mentorship programme, “She Rises Cohort 2026,” designed to equip selected women leaders and business founders with essential business skills. This flagship initiative aimed to ensure that no woman is left behind in the modern business landscape.
She Rises is a thoughtfully curated platform for women startup founders from different cities across India for capacity building, learning sessions with expert faculty, networking, investment readiness, and much more. Also, the partnership with MeitY Startup Hub brought government backing, national reach, and institutional support to every participant.
The event brought together an esteemed group of visionary founders, industry experts, investors, and academic leaders. Notable speakers and mentors featured in the three-day virtual sessions included:
Ms. Shraddha Sharma (Founder, YourStory Media)
Mr. Viiveck Verma (CEO, Upsurge Global)
Ms. Mamta Bakliwal (Director, Empower Solutions)
Mr. Advait Kurlekar (Founder, Upchain Management Consultants)
Ms. Tina Garg (President, Avas Creative India)
Ms. Prachi Jain (Co-founder, Ednovate Edutech)
Mr. Vikrant Potnis (Founder, Fundenable)
Ms. Neetu Bansal (Founder, Business Karya)
Ms. Anuradha (Co-founder, Dexter Capital Advisors)
Ms. Anusha Sirigiri (Assistant Professor, Indian School of Business)
Key curriculum focus areas included validating business ideas, constructing strong corporate brands, mastering financial principles, navigating fundraising, executing sales strategies, building a Business Model Canvas, and cultivating a resilient founder mindset. Participants were asked to share their business stories through 60-second pitches and received personalized guidance on business scaling and growth from industry experts.
Key Takeaways
Strategic business frameworks are important for structuring operational scaling and driving long-term organizational growth.
Cultivating leadership confidence, personal growth, and self-advocacy among women founders.
Key strategies for addressing systemic funding challenges and achieving investor readiness.
Strategies for overcoming imposter syndrome, building psychological resilience, and sustaining self-belief.
In-depth evaluation of pricing structures, profit margins, acquisition costs, and hidden operational expenses.
Leveraging core financial metrics to drive data-backed decision-making and prepare for fundraising.
Designing a desirable, feasible, and viable Business Model Canvas (BMC) to ensure strategic clarity.
Maximizing market reach through targeted website optimization and strategic social media engagement.
Rigorous idea validation focused on addressing genuine market gaps and real customer pain points.
Crafting strong value propositions to stand out in competitive markets through product differentiation and market positioning strategies.
Identifying high-converting sales channels and strategic partnerships to accelerate customer acquisition.
Leveraging detailed customer persona mapping and behavioral insights to deliver compelling customer value propositions.
Impact & Outcome
Around 120 women startup founders and leaders were selected from over 450 applications across India. They received a Certificate of Completion after completing the three-day mentorship programme, recognizing their learning and participation. FICCI FLO extends its sincere gratitude to all speakers, mentors, institutional partners, and participating founders whose active contributions made the She Rises Cohort 2026 an impactful and highly memorable success.