UK's British Council, SPARK Pact to Empower 100,000 Women Entrepreneurs in India

According to a release, the MoU was signed in partnership with the Women's Collective Forum and the Alliance for Global Good - Gender Equity and Equality, aiming to strengthen skills, leadership and networks for women entrepreneurs across the country.

The initiative, SPARK - The 100K Collective, seeks to empower one lakh women entrepreneurs across 300 locations in India by addressing gaps in access to resources, markets and institutional support, particularly for those transitioning beyond micro-enterprises.

Speaking at the event, Smriti Irani, Founder of the Alliance for Global Good - Gender Equity and Equality and former Union Minister, said that advancing gender equity requires strong collaboration across institutions and sectors.

"Women entrepreneurs across India are already demonstrating extraordinary leadership and resilience. By strengthening access to skills, resources and supportive networks, initiatives such as this can help women scale their ambitions into sustainable enterprises and participate more fully in shaping India's economic future," she said.

Under the collaboration, the British Council will contribute its expertise in English language training and digital communication to help women entrepreneurs enhance business capabilities, build confidence and access wider markets.

Scott McDonald, Chief Executive of the British Council, said that education, skills and connections are powerful drivers of opportunity.

"Through this collaboration, we're pleased to bring our experience in English and skills development to support women entrepreneurs in strengthening their communication, expanding their networks and growing their enterprises with confidence," he said.

The MoU signing took place in the national capital in the presence of senior leaders and partners, marking a shared commitment to advancing inclusive economic participation.

Speaking on the sidelines, Susan Acland-Hood, Permanent Secretary at the UK Department for Education, highlighted the importance of global collaboration in education and skill-building, noting that communication skills can unlock access to markets and opportunities, particularly for women.

"It was really exciting to hear from the women who've started what I think will be an enormously exciting initiative to grow entrepreneurs and to support them by bringing the opportunity to learn English. We know that language and communication of all kinds can unlock opportunity, can give people access to markets, and can help people to communicate, challenge and change. I'm very excited about anything that increases that opportunity, particularly for women across India, but actually, I think there are lessons here for women across the world," Acland-Hood said.

Meanwhile, Lindy Cameron, British High Commissioner to India, said the initiative would help women entrepreneurs strengthen their participation in global supply chains by enhancing their English language capabilities.

"I'm really proud to have been at an event where the British Council was signing an MoU to support SPARK, which is a phenomenal programme that helps to give female entrepreneurs and particularly women who want to grow their businesses, the kind of English language skills that allow them to grow their businesses and be a bigger part of the global supply chain. It was so inspiring to hear the work that is being done and the potential for even more women to participate in that, and to meet some of the women who are already part of the programme," Cameron said.

The partners said the collaboration aims to build a stronger ecosystem for women-led enterprises by focusing on skills development, governance, digital adoption and leadership, enabling women entrepreneurs to contribute more actively to India's economic growth and development.

- ANI