Thiruvananthapuram: Creating a favourable ecosystem for women entrepreneurs is essential to help them scale their businesses, access new markets and pursue larger ambitions, experts said at Huddle Global 2026 in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday (November 13).
They emphasised that women should not allow their circumstances to determine how far they can take their ventures.
The discussion took place during a panel session titled ‘Women Shaping Future: Leadership, Innovation & Inclusive Growth in the Startup Ecosystem’ at the eighth edition of Huddle Global 2026, a three-day startup festival being held at The Leela Kovalam, a Raviz Hotel, in Kovalam.
Poornima Murthy, VP, Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship, said the focus should not be limited to encouraging more women to start businesses.
Instead, the country needs to create an environment where women can think big, build ambitious enterprises and access opportunities to scale their ventures.
“It is not about helping more women to start businesses, but it is imperative to create conditions in the country where a woman can dream big, build as much as she can and never feel that her circumstances decide how far she can go,” she said.
Murthy highlighted the importance of building support systems, improving market access and creating opportunities for women entrepreneurs to take their businesses to the next level.
“There should be the right support system, access to right markets and the opportunity to take the next step for women entrepreneurs. We need to help women start building their confidence, which is one of the biggest barriers, while setting up an enterprise,” she contended.
She also pointed to the growing use of technology by women to improve their businesses. However, she said there is a need to see more women establish technology-led businesses, describing this as a significant challenge.
Women Entrepreneurs: Leadership and Decision-Making in Businesses
Nadia Baba, Product Owner at IBS Software, highlighted the importance of self-leadership as the foundation of women’s leadership in organisations.
She said women must first learn to lead themselves before taking on larger leadership responsibilities. Moving from being a contributor to becoming a decision-maker can help women create greater value for the organisations they work with.
“When you want to turn yourself from a contributor to a decision-maker, you bring value to the company that you are working for. Future belongs to those women who show the potential to lead from the front,” she added.
Baba said the ability to take responsibility and demonstrate leadership potential would be important for women seeking to move into decision-making roles.
Women Entrepreneurs: Gender Balance and AI Literacy
Swetha Harikrishnan, HR Head at Aeka Advisors, stressed the importance of maintaining gender balance while hiring employees in organisations.
She also highlighted the need to expand artificial intelligence (AI) literacy across organisations, irrespective of employees’ designations.
According to Harikrishnan, AI literacy should not remain limited to specific teams or job roles but should be encouraged across different levels of an organisation.
Shalini Sankar, National Head and Senior VP at Laqshya Media Group, moderated the panel discussion.
Huddle Global 2026 Brings Together Startup Ecosystem Stakeholders
Being held from November 12 to 14, Huddle Global 2026 has brought together startup founders, investors, government officials, social entrepreneurs, innovators, policymakers and industry leaders.
The eighth edition of the three-day event aims to shape the future of technology and entrepreneurship while providing fresh impetus to innovation and growth.
Discussions at the event are focusing on leadership, innovation and inclusive growth, including the role of women entrepreneurs in building businesses and contributing to the wider startup ecosystem.
