At the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2026 in Davos, former Union Minister Smriti Irani highlighted a growing trend among global investors showing interest in backing women-led entrepreneurial ventures in India. Speaking with Moneycontrol on the sidelines of the summit, she said that forums like Davos are now translating intent into actual investment — especially for businesses owned and led by women in India.
Irani discussed the work of the Alliance for Global Good, an India-led coalition that has engaged with thousands of delegates and published policy recommendations on global platforms such as the World Bank and United Nations. One key focus of the alliance is raising commercial capital to support women entrepreneurs rather than limiting support to philanthropy or token gestures.
One of the alliance’s initiatives at Davos aims to mobilise US $100 million to scale 1 lakh women-owned businesses in around 300 Indian cities, and global investors alongside consulting firms have already shown interest in contributing to that effort.
Irani also emphasised that while large global discussions often focus on issues such as artificial intelligence and geopolitics, India’s agenda at the forum has included equity and inclusion — especially ensuring that women entrepreneurs can access capital, navigate compliance challenges and integrate into supply chains more easily.
Overall, the attention from global financial players and the responses she received at WEF indicate a shift toward commercial backing for women-led enterprises, which Irani described as a promising development in broadening economic opportunities for female founders from India.
