Entrepreneurship For Change: Women in Guwahati Challenging Societal Stigmas Creating Impact

• Inspiring resilience: 13 stories of women entrepreneurs in Guwahati
• Entrepreneurship empowering women to take control of their careers
• Women entrepreneurs defying societal labels and challenges, rising above limitations
• Highlighting community impact and uplifting the inspiring blueprint left by women entrepreneurs

As an emerging dynamic hub for women-led enterprises, Guwahati city is slowly seen to be growing. This change in the traditional workforce dynamics which has been patriarchal in most cases has been slowly but steadily giving a boost to the local economy. This article is my small attempt at discovering the booming traditional business landscape in my city, Guwahati, Assam,  where women are transforming their communities alongside preserving cultural heritage all the while managing small businesses and enterprises.

Women and Entrepreneurship

In today’s world, women entrepreneurs are redefining traditional business practices. Most of the women-led businesses are bringing in very fresh perspectives, be it in the beauty sector, health sector, or even in the technological sector.  India’s Startup Ecosystem Report (WISER) highlights impressive growth in women-led startups, with female-founded companies rising significantly from just 10 percent in 2017 to 18 percent in recent years, marking substantial progress over the past five years. These women-led ventures are often leading in social impact and community-oriented enterprises, especially in certain sectors such as textiles, handicrafts, and food processing in Assam.

Schemes to Empower Women Entrepreneurship

The  Women’s Economic Empowerment Program, Rashtra Mahila Kosh, Udyogini Scheme and Women’s Entrepreneurship Development Program in Assam have been assisting almost 1.35 lakh women entrepreneurs in the state.  As we see more and more women succeed, they indeed inspire future generations, breaking barriers, and contributing significantly to more inclusive and diverse economies worldwide. To gain firsthand insights into the experiences of women entrepreneurs I interviewed 13 local entrepreneurs from Guwahati. Here are their stories.

Women Entrepreneurs Running Small Businesses

Mrs. Hiranya Dutta Choudhury has successfully run her grocery shop in Silpukhuri for 7 years. Initially managed by her husband, the shop now bears her name. The above symbolizes her leadership and strong family support, as both hold an equal share of responsibility. She showed keen interest in letting her daughter take the lead in the future. 

Rupa Dutta Choudhury started her garments business near her home in 2004. She began selling shawls and expanded into hosiery, Mekhela Chadors, and Assamese Gamosa. She sources items from Upper Assam (Lakhimpur), where men manage the weaving. Since the business is small it does interrupt her working hours in case of any illness. 

Mrs Barnali Das has been running her computer training business and center,  “Zenith Career Academy” in Silpukhuri, since 2009. With a Master’s in Economics, she transitioned from seeking jobs to starting a business to give back to society. She has expanded her business and opened a DTP center, with government-sanctioned loans from the Industrial Commerce Centre with constant support from family.  She plans to set up a larger coaching center in Guwahati, aiming to empower Northeast locals in the future. 

Balancing Tradition, Ambition and Family

Dhanjita Basa has been in the tailoring business for 15 years now. Working at a stitching workshop she picked up the skills to independently open her own tailoring show. She specializes in blouse stitching and Mekhela Chador’s work and has support from family. Her busy days are during festivals and finds the locality supportive. 

Miss Nisha Roy was a young entrepreneur managing her confectionery business, alongside her 9 to 5, insurance job for a year now. Supported by her father, she wants to expand and establish a bakery, and then enter wholesale distribution. She believes in working hard. 

Mrs. Juri Sharma’s warm towards me during the interview at her sweets shop where I have had countless little cups of tea. She and her husband share responsibility at the shop. She had to leave her law studies after marriage and started working at the shop as she saw potential. The couple received family support.

Women Entrepreneurs in the Wellness and Beauty Business

Harishmita Deka, is the owner of  “Flex Fire Fitness” gym in Guwahati. An avid reader, she stays updated on business trends. With an MBA degree, Miss Deka has had a strong interest in wellness, from her childhood. She is extremely thankful to her father who has always supported her entrepreneurial dreams. She left roles at Flipkart and a bank’s HR Department to open her own gym to promote health and wellness. She believes firmly in the spirit of manifestation and has learned a lot about managing an inclusive workspace. There is equal gender staffing at her gym. She’s focused on creating a welcoming environment and redesigning the interiors for a homely, inclusive feel. 

Mrs.  Ronu Kher Kotary is a local owner of a small beauty salon who began her journey in 2007 to support her husband, an auto driver. She started by learning beauty skills on weekends, eventually earning a certificate.  She soon built a loyal client base, establishing her shop with support from the local community.  Her son helped her in the business as well. Through her patience and dedication, she bought land and built a home in Guwahati, demonstrating her hard work and success.

Reinventing With Resilience

Mrs Shweta Singh, a former football player and coach from Shillong, manages her family’s optical business.  She was new to the world of business and had a can-do attitude. She strongly advocates for women learning business management through experience. She believes in the importance of women stepping into the public sphere to avoid self-doubt and isolation. She was subjected to a lot of gender stereotypes with respect to working after marriage.  She battled the prejudices by deciding to take up an unconventional profession both before and after marriage . She has strong family support and her inner calling has made her the independent woman that she is today.  

Mrs Minoti Haloi has been running a small cosmetics shop since 2009. She decided to join in with a small investment with support from her husband. Corona made it difficult for them to keep the business thriving. Currently, expansion is difficult for them. They are unable to hire help but are happy that they have loyal customers. The construction of a bridge on the main road has been a hindrance to their business lately.

Schedule activities outside of work that bring you joy and relaxation. This balance not only maintains mental well-being but also strengthens focus at work. Integrating personal time into your routine helps prevent burnout, making each area of life richer and more fulfilling.

Women Entrepreneurs Preserving Culture and Heritage

Mrs. Sulakshana B. Bhuyan is the founder of Assam’s most renowned, traditional Assamese jewelry brand “Zangfai”.  Narrating her journey into business she mentioned how the products were initially designed by her late father Mr. Pranav Baruah, a renowned Assamese portrait artist. She began her brand at home in a small capacity. Soon her jewelry got featured in Assam’s popular Women’s Magazine Sakhi and Nandini, and business started booming.  Her shop is in the prime locality of Silpukhuri in Guwahati. These exquisite Assamese jewelry rooted in Ahom Kingdom’s history are sourced from Barpeta, Nagaon (design done on silver), and Jorhat (design done on gold) districts. She believes in preserving cultural identity, with her future plans to apply for a GI tag for global recognition. She believes in being financially independent. She highlighted that financial literacy is yet to reach its peak and is dedicated to passing on an authentic craftsmanship legacy. 

My next interviewee was Mrs.  Husna Akhtar who has been in the wholesale business of Mekhela Chador for almost 15 years now. Transitioning from beauty to fashion, Mrs. Husna has managed “P’oshak”, a Mekhla Chador shop in the Ambari area. The products are sourced from local handloom weavers from Kokrajhar, Jorhat, and Dhulia Kolkata. She believes in hiring an all-women staff to make her customers feel at ease which has also helped her build a trusted clientele. She takes pride in her journey of starting small. 

My last interview was at a Mekhela Chador Boutique situated in Guwahati’s tourist area of Ambari called ‘Dimoria’s’. This boutique is run by Mrs Deepti Rekha who previously worked as an engineer with the Government of Assam but wanted to give back to society.  This boutique began as an NGO, called ‘Creatives’ giving employment to 557 artisans, and is a Detailed Project Report (DPR) model cluster brand. The business has led to an average income generation of 15000 INR distributed 225 looms for the weavers. Dimoria district is also known for its population of differently-abled people, who are a part of this model scheme. They secured loans from Canara Bank, and have plantations to produce Eri Silk. They participated in Germany’s Axom Mahotsav, plan to include designers, and currently employ a social media manager and a showroom staff.   The store also has handicrafts made out of water hyacinths.

Challenges Faced By Women Entrepreneurs

From my interview with such amazing women and men aiding them in their journey, it has come to my notice that women still have to maintain a work-life balance while managing the household and their businesses. Although societal biases have lessened in certain instances women are still seen as bossy while giving out instructions. 

One of the entrepreneurs did mention managing staff has been stressful as people don’t take well to instructions. Funding to businesses is still a huge hindrance. Many women are not yet comfortable with the idea of taking up a loan to their name. There is still limited digital technology literacy and many such businesses have not gone online yet and have no future plans as such. Gender pay gaps and underrepresentation in the tech industry is still a problem when it comes to breaking barriers for women entrepreneurs. 

My interview journey has been truly enriching. Witnessing the rise of women entrepreneurs in Assam. To see so many up-and-coming women entrepreneurs has been inspiring. I look forward to each individual whom I interviewed bringing out tremendous social impact in the near future. Adaptability in the face of challenges shows how women-led entrepreneurship in Guwahati continues to grow, despite the odds. Each woman, representing a diverse background and with varying resources, some with some without family support has successfully navigated the challenges of setting up and running a business. That’s a glimpse of incredible Assam to you.