Visa Launches She’s Next Grants Program to Support Women-Led Indian Businesses

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India:  Visa (NYSE: V) has launched She’s Next in India, part of Visa’s global program to enable women in their efforts to fund, run, and grow their businesses. She’s Next is a global advocacy program that brings practical insights and tools to women-led small businesses, including networking, mentoring, and funding opportunities with Visa.
 
The grants program will be open to applications from women-owned and women-led businesses from 14 July 2023 to 27 August 2023. Following a rigorous screening process, the shortlisted businesses will undergo a jury review. Of this, three women entrepreneurs (particularly small business owners) will be selected as winners for a grant of $10,000 each. 

Commenting on the launch, Sandeep Ghosh, Group Country Manager, India & South Asia, Visa, said, “Visa’s unwavering commitment to supporting the growth of small businesses and women is a part of our mission to enable businesses to thrive. Bringing the She’s Next Grants Program to India, we believe, will strengthen our support for women-led businesses that face barriers to access and opportunity, be it for funding, mentorship or networking. By offering financial assistance, we aim to make a significant impact on deserving communities, bring about enduring social change and uplift the communities and people we serve and operate in.”

Visa has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to supporting women-owned businesses and female entrepreneurship in India through various initiatives. In 2020, Visa launched a grants program in India with global partner IFundWomen to help women entrepreneurs secure funding for business growth and expansion. In 2021, Visa drove a focused program with NASSCOM Foundation to enable digital and financial literacy among 650 women micro-entrepreneurs in rural areas.

Most recently, in 2022, Visa committed $1 million to United Way Mumbai (UWM) to support women-owned and women-focused businesses across 170 villages in four states, in a program aimed at benefitting at least 8,500 women. By equipping these women micro-entrepreneurs with essential skills and linking them with relevant financial resources, Visa aims to empower both their individual enterprises and the communities they serve.

As part of the, She’s Next Grants Program, Visa has invested more than $2.2 million in over 200 grants and coaching sessions for women entrepreneurs in the US, Canada, India, and Ireland as of 2020.