A 36-member delegation of women entrepreneurs and business leaders from the FICCI Ladies Organisation (FICCI FLO) participated in a business interaction hosted by the Embassy of India in Lisbon, in association with the Women’s Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WICCI) Portugal and PIB Hub. The engagement focused on strengthening business, investment, technology and market linkages between India and Portugal.
Ronnie Spurgeon, First Secretary, Embassy of India, Lisbon, delivered the opening address, welcoming the FLO delegation and participants to the Embassy. He set the context for the interaction and highlighted the importance of bringing business communities and women entrepreneurs together to deepen India–Portugal engagement. Addressing the gathering, Puja Garg, National President, FICCI FLO, said the delegation had come to Portugal with a clear objective: to transform the longstanding India–Portugal relationship into meaningful economic partnerships.
Representing 36 women entrepreneurs and business leaders, the delegation reflected FLO’s larger 22-chapter network and its work across skills, finance, technology, market access and leadership. She emphasised that empowerment must extend beyond enabling women to start businesses to providing them with the skills, networks, capital, markets and opportunities required to build, compete and scale.
Puja Garg highlighted opportunities across textiles and sustainable fashion, food and agriculture, handicrafts, wellness, technology, manufacturing, creative industries and green businesses. She described Portugal as an important gateway for Indian enterprises looking towards Europe, while India offers Portuguese businesses significant market scale, manufacturing capabilities and entrepreneurial energy.
She also invited Portuguese entrepreneurs and businesses to participate in the India Women Trade Fair (IWTF) 2026, positioning it not merely as an exhibition but as a market-access platform connecting women-led businesses with buyers, investors, corporates, institutions and international markets.
“Let conversations become partnerships, and let those partnerships create opportunities for many more women—taking our Strength Within to Scale Beyond.” — Puja Garg, National President, FICCI FLO
WICCI Portugal: Building a Practical Bridge
Marianela Mirpuri, President, WICCI Portugal, said the organisation seeks to build a practical bridge between India and Portugal by connecting women, businesses, institutions and ideas.
She emphasised that the objective goes beyond networking, creating access to knowledge, entrepreneurs, expertise, partners, investors and international markets. Portugal can provide a pathway to Europe, while India brings talent, innovation and entrepreneurial strength. The focus is on converting conversations into partnerships, partnerships into investment, and investment into jobs, innovation and long-term economic growth.
The WICCI delegation also brought diverse perspectives from Portugal’s business and professional ecosystem.
Suzana Penteado, entrepreneur with 38 years of experience in Portugal, spoke from her experience across tourism and international trade and as Co-founder and Ambassador of 1000 Curvas, the family wine brand from Quinta da Castanheira. Isabel Neves, Portuguese lawyer, entrepreneur, investor and academic and President of the Lisbon Business Angels Club, brought an investor and entrepreneurship perspective to the discussion.
Isabel Rodrigues, Private Equity Associate at Iberis Capital, contributed insights from the private equity and venture capital ecosystem. Filipa Rebelo de Andrade, Founder and CEO with over 25 years of experience in art and business and experience as a curator at Fundação Oriente, brought the perspective of the creative and cultural economy.
Sectoral Perspectives from FLO
Kamini Saraf, Senior Vice President, FICCI FLO, highlighted India’s combination of scale, craftsmanship and heritage and Portugal’s strengths in manufacturing, innovation and European market access. She called for stronger partnerships across the global value chain, with women progressing from participants to entrepreneurs, exporters, owners and leaders.
Reshma Patel, highlighted opportunities in pharmaceuticals and wine, pointing to the potential for a two-way commercial bridge. Indian pharmaceutical manufacturing already supplies products to Portugal, while Portugal’s wine heritage presents opportunities in India’s growing wine market. She noted the potential for collaboration across pharma, wine, manufacturing, investment and women-led enterprises.
Bindu Sastry spoke about India’s evolution from a service-led IT industry into a global technology and startup ecosystem. She highlighted opportunities in AI, robotics, quantum technology, deep tech, cybersecurity and space technology, alongside R&D, joint ventures, startups and technology partnerships.
Ambassador Kundal: Deepening the FLO–Embassy Partnership
The session concluded with remarks by H.E. Puneet R. Kundal, Ambassador of India to Portugal, who recalled his earlier interaction with the FLO delegation during its visit to the USA. He said this previous association contributed to his readiness to host the delegation in Lisbon and further deepen the FLO–Embassy partnership.
The Ambassador highlighted opportunities emerging from the India–EU FTA, including potential collaboration between Portuguese and Indian companies in areas such as drone co-manufacturing for applications relevant to the Government of India.
The engagement also carried significance in the context of 50 years of India–Portugal diplomatic relations, providing an important backdrop for strengthening bilateral business and economic cooperation. The formal session was followed by networking in the Embassy garden and dinner, enabling participants to develop business connections and explore potential partnerships.
The Lisbon engagement reinforced FICCI FLO’s vision of creating a two-way economic bridge between India and Portugal—one that moves beyond dialogue to partnerships, investment, market access, and opportunities for women-led businesses.