ICECD to develope support system for women entrepreneurs of Gujarat

Ahmedabad-based International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Career Development (ICECD), a non-profit voluntary organization, is all set to develop a centre for women entrepreneurs, who run small and medium enterprises (SME). The proposed centre will help woman entrepreneurs to extend their business from local to international level. This project is first-of-its-kind in Gujarat.

During recently concluded Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit, ICECD signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Gujarat Government to develop the centre at Ahmedabad in Gujarat. As part of this project, ICECD will give chance 30 to 50 women entrepreneurs to set up units, where about Rs. 6.50 to 7 crore investments is required.

Hina Shah, director and secretary of ICECD said, "Main idea of this centre is to provide a platform to those women entrepreneurs having potential to grow their businesses but are not getting enough chance.

ICECD will guide and provide channels to extend their businesses. The focus area of this centre is readymade garment units. Business women, who runs small garment factories, can come here and set new units with minimum investment. Any SME will have to invest in this project first.

We will help them to get new business from across the country and also from export markets." Government of Gujarat will give land to ICECD near Bopal to establish the centre. ICECD will pay for the land. However, the organisation has worked out the financial details of the project.

"The units coming up with the help of the centre will get labour, trained and skilled employment over here as we are already trained many women in this area. If this project is done successfully, we will implement same model in other places too.", Shah told Business Standard.