Empowering women is essential to the health and social development of families, communities and cities. With an emphasis on the economic and social upliftment and security of women, Kochi Municipal Corporation with the support of GIZ India launched the Women Entrepreneurship Project ‘Venture Initiation Program – Women (VIP: Women)’under the SDG and Governance component of the SUD-SC. The objectives of the platform are to support the women entrepreneurs to create and innovate projects and develop their businesses and handhold them through their entrepreneurial journey. For the city, the innovation centre/cell would ideate, come up with solutions, evaluate and implement to resolves the issues and challenges. The project is being implemented in Kochi with the technical support of IIMK Live (Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode, Laboratory for Innovation Venturing and Entrepreneurship) under the coordinated of c-hed.

The pilot program is part of the proposed project to design and develop Integrated Support Platform for Women Entrepreneurship (IPWE) in Kochi. As part of this program, it is proposed to provide entrepreneurial support and services to nurture and develop the ideas of three selected women entrepreneurs into products/services through business ventures. As a pilot phase, three women entrepreneurship projects will be selected through a six week program.

The project was officially launched by the Hon’ble Mayor of Kochi Adv. M. Anil Kumar on August 13, 2021.