Konkani women entrepreneurs complete training programme

Mangaluru: Around 50 participants from different regions gathered at the World Konkani Centre for a two-day residential workshop aimed at helping Konkani women entrepreneurs expand their businesses through training in entrepreneurship, skill development and business growth strategies.

Organised free of cost by the World Konkani Centre together with Vardhani under the title “Scale Up – Entrepreneurship Advancement for Konkani Women Entrepreneurs”, the event took place on August 1 and 2.

Chief guest Aravind D Baleri, retired Joint Director of the Department of Skill Development, inaugurated the programme and remarked that women had increasingly embraced entrepreneurship and were making significant strides in the business sector. He added that more women were establishing independent enterprises after grasping the opportunities and challenges of business.

Emphasising continuous skill development, Baleri informed the participants about various government schemes and support mechanisms that can assist entrepreneurs in expanding their ventures, and he urged them to utilise effectively the infrastructure and training facilities present at the World Konkani Centre.

World Konkani Centre President and senior chartered accountant Nandagopal Shenoy, who presided over the inaugural function, encouraged the participants to concentrate on self-empowerment instead of comparing themselves with others.

He declared that confidence, determination and perseverance constituted essential qualities for success in business and called upon the women entrepreneurs to serve as catalysts for their own growth.

World Konkani Centre Vice-President Ramesh D Nayak attended the occasion as well. Sixteen resource persons conducted sessions covering topics connected to entrepreneurship, business management, marketing, financial planning, skill enhancement and enterprise development.

According to the organisers the programme sought to deliver practical guidance to women entrepreneurs looking to scale up their businesses and simultaneously to open avenues for networking and knowledge sharing.

Suchitra S Shenoy compered the inaugural programme and also proposed the vote of thanks. Lakshmi Kini performed the Konkani anthem and Raksha Shenoy introduced the

resource persons.

Participants arriving from different parts of the region took active part in the interactive sessions; organisers voiced the hope that the workshop would help strengthen women-led enterprises and promote entrepreneurship inside the

Konkani community.