Smriti Irani Represents India On Global Stage, Launches Initiative To Empower 1 Lakh Women Entrepreneurs

New Delhi: After recently bringing Bill Gates to her show Kyunki 2.0, a revival of the iconic series that changed Indian television 25 years ago, Smriti Irani is now making waves internationally with her latest women-focused initiative, SPARK The 100k Collective.

A Movement to Empower 100,000 Women Entrepreneurs

Through SPARK The 100k Collective, Irani has launched a transformative mission to empower 100,000 women entrepreneurs across 300 cities in India. The initiative builds a 360-degree ecosystem that promotes skill-building, entrepreneurship, and access to opportunities, and includes six key sub-initiatives aimed at strengthening women-led enterprises across the country.

Irani describes the project as a call to action not only for Indian women but for communities worldwide, to support women-driven businesses and create lasting social impact.

In an emotional reflection during her recent global address, Irani shared her personal journey and the values that shaped her mission:

“They say life comes a full circle and it has indeed for me tonight. Forty-two years ago on the streets of New Delhi, my father, a bookseller, sold second-hand magazines which he bought from a scrap dealer, all so that he could earn two dollars a day to raise a family of three girls. So tonight as I stand amongst you, I stand here because not only I have hard-working parents but also because somebody helped me get an education, somebody paid me a fair wage, somebody helped me become a political voice in my country.”

Spotlight on India’s Female Workforce

Representing the collective strength of Indian women, Irani highlighted the immense potential of the country’s female workforce:

“There are 400 million women back home like me. Ninety million of them work in villages and every year have a turnover of 37 billion dollars in the small businesses they do. 1.5 million women in my country are elected to office in panchayats, what you all call town councils. Six million women go to work every day as frontline healthcare workers.”

Planting Seeds of Change: A Global Vision

Speaking about her vision through SPARK The 100k Collective, Irani emphasised the initiative’s broader goal, to create a ripple effect of empowerment beyond India’s borders.

“As somebody who has sparked a little collective, I come here to plant a seed. In India, two women, me included, wanted to reach out to 100,000 women in very small businesses. We wanted to help fellow Indians and not wait only for governments to come and rescue us. So we decided we will reach out in 300 cities, a 100,000 women to begin with, reach a million, create a hundred million dollar impact fund — and then somebody said, could you take this to 56 countries and we said hell yes. So I am here to plant a seed.”

A Call to Global Leaders

Closing her address, Irani made a passionate appeal to world leaders to act on gender equity and economic justice:

“My only appeal is this — women control 30 trillion dollars of consumer spending in the world, but own only one out of three businesses and struggle with a 20% gap in pay. So while you have the courage to lead for your own dreams and your ambition, please find the courage to become the voice of the voiceless.”