India has called on BRICS countries to create greater opportunities for women-led enterprises to participate in international trade, with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal highlighting access to finance, markets and predictable business rules as key priorities.
Addressing the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance Women-Led Development Conference in New Delhi on 9 September, Goyal said India would work with BRICS partners to expand opportunities for women entrepreneurs across global markets.
He identified three major challenges facing entrepreneurs seeking to enter international business: access to credit, access to buyers and markets, and predictable rules that support open and fair trade.
Goyal called for a common BRICS trade platform that could help small and women-led enterprises connect with buyers and markets across member countries. He also urged greater participation by women-owned businesses in international exhibitions, conferences, business forums and buyer-seller meetings.
The minister proposed that BRICS countries organise more sector-specific women-led business delegations, allowing women entrepreneurs to build cross-border networks, integrate into global value chains and explore opportunities beyond the BRICS grouping.
Goyal also called for the proposed BRICS Women’s Advancement Fund to be turned into a concrete initiative and urged that work on trade finance and invoice-discounting platforms take into account the needs of women exporters.
Highlighting India’s experience, Goyal said nearly 300 million bank accounts had been opened for women over the past 12 years, while around 100 million rural women are now part of self-help groups, cooperatives and other women’s collectives.
He also said more than 30 million women are now earning over ₹1 lakh in personal income, reflecting the growth of women-led economic activity in India.
The discussions come as India hosts the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on 12 and 13 September. With women’s entrepreneurship increasingly positioned as part of the wider economic agenda, the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance is seeking to strengthen women’s participation in cross-border business, innovation and investment.
