FLO Chennai, under the leadership of Chairperson Ms. Niyati A. Mehta, in collaboration with Hindusthan Chamber of Commerce, organized a program titled “Beyond Scaling.” The session was designed to bring clarity to women entrepreneurs, MSME owners, and startup aspirants on the realities of scaling, sustainability, and purposeful growth.
The session addressed a growing concern among women entrepreneurs—whether scaling is mandatory for success, or whether steady, niche businesses can be equally impactful and meaningful. The keynote address was delivered by KV Anand, Founder – Trimtab Consulting and Chief Innovation Officer – GDC, IIT Madras, on the topic ‘The Truth About Scaling – Right Fit, Right Time, or Not at All’. He provided deep insights on:
- What defines a small and niche business & how to assess readiness for scaling.
- Why premature or wrong scaling leads to business failure & market-first thinking for startups (market-to-lab vs lab-to-market) & grounded decision-making aligned to business model and personal capacity.
The session was highly interactive, followed by an engaging Q&A, and then followed by a Fireside Chat titled “Thriving Small: Real Stories from Purposeful Women Entrepreneurs,” which was moderated by Mr. K. V. Anand & Dr. Geetha Premkumar, Vice President – HCC & MSME Vertical Head – FICCI FLO. The Fireside Speakers are Archna R, Founder – Aruj Organics & Janani Iyer, Co-Founder – Digi Pro. The discussion highlighted real-life journeys of women who have built profitable, sustainable niche businesses without aggressive scaling, addressing topics such as financial discipline, customer trust, personal capacity, and societal impact.
Impact
The programme successfully reinforced the message that success in entrepreneurship is not defined by size alone, but by clarity, sustainability, ethics, and purpose. The joint initiative strengthened FLO and HCC’s shared commitment to women’s entrepreneurship and inclusive economic growth.