With a stellar record of empowering women-led SMEs, Ubuntu Consortium brings together the Women Entrepreneurs Association under one umbrella. Formed under the Presidency of K. Ratna Prabha IAS (Former Chief Secretary, Govt of Karnataka), the Consortium has seven founding members with considerable experience running successful business ventures and leading industry associations.
The Consortium has 54 associations which account for more than 21,000 women entrepreneurs representing 11 states. Focusing on digital transformation, the Consortium has so far trained 2400 women on digital marketing skills to grow their businesses. The partnership between Tide and the Ubuntu Consortium will focus on building skills, other types of training, and financial literacy, ensuring that women entrepreneurs receive the support they need to expand their businesses. With Ubuntu Consortium’s deep-rooted presence in many states in India and its track record of driving impactful social and economic change, Tide looks forward to supporting women entrepreneurs across Tier- 2, 3, 4 and beyond towns to grow their businesses.
According to a report by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, empowering women entrepreneurs could add over 150 million new jobs in the next decade. This partnership will also help create local jobs and stimulate economic growth in the long run.
The partnership is set to be transformative for women entrepreneurs of the Consortium, which has 54 associations accounting for more than 21,000 women entrepreneurs representing 11 states in
- Accelerating financial inclusion
- Developing targeted skill-building programmes
- Supporting women in rural and underserved regions
- Promoting gender parity in entrepreneurship
The partnership’s initiatives will cover:
- Financial Literacy Workshops: sessions to help women entrepreneurs manage finances more effectively, focusing on essential skills such as budgeting, cash flow management, and basic bookkeeping.
- Digital Skills for Business: this programme will support women in harnessing digital tools for marketing, sales, and customer engagement, enabling them to adapt to an increasingly digital economy.
- Access to Credit Training: workshops on financial readiness, credit applications, and building sustainable credit scores in response to the challenges women entrepreneurs face in accessing funding.
K. Ratna Prabha IAS, President of Ubuntu Consortium, said: “At Ubuntu Consortium, we are committed to creating an ecosystem where every entrepreneur, particularly women, can thrive. Our collaboration with Tide marks a milestone in our efforts to bridge the gender gap in entrepreneurship. Together, we will provide these women with the resources and knowledge they need to build sustainable businesses, fostering a new generation of women leaders across India.”
Government data from the Ministry of Skill Development shows that many women entrepreneurs lack critical business skills. By providing dedicated workshops, mentoring and training programmes, this partnership is designed to empower women entrepreneurs with skills in financial management, digital marketing and business expansion strategies, setting them up for long-term success.
Kumar Shekhar, Deputy Country Manager of Tide in India, said: “Partnering with the Ubuntu Consortium aligns perfectly with Tide’s Women in Business initiative. Ubuntu’s exceptional reach and understanding of grassroots needs make it an ideal partner to create a long-lasting impact. We believe this partnership will play a pivotal role in empowering women entrepreneurs to overcome challenges, access credit, and build their skills, creating a more inclusive and vibrant economy.”
According to the UN’s Gender Equality and Youth Development report, achieving gender equality would generate about USD 700 billion of additional GDP by 2025, increasing India’s GDP growth by 1.4 per cent. By championing women entrepreneurs, the partnership directly supports India’s economic growth and fosters a culture where women-led businesses are prioritised, celebrated and sustained.
This collaboration comes at a fitting time, as November 19th marks International Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, a day dedicated to honouring and empowering women in business globally.
About Ubuntu Consortium:
Formed on 8th March 2019, Ubuntu Consortium is a not-for-profit organisation, an NGO registered under the Societies Act. The Consortium considers its prime objective to upscale businesses of women entrepreneurs across Tier 2 & 3 cities by providing access to finance, markets, capacity building, life skills management, etc. The Consortium works towards the adoption of women-friendly policies and the enhancement and strengthening of their associations by creating networking and trade opportunities at the global level.
The Consortium has 54 associations under its umbrella, which account for more than 21,000 thousand women entrepreneurs representing 11 states across the country.
About Tide
Founded in 2015 and launched in 2017, Tide is the leading business financial platform in the UK. Tide helps SMEs save time (and money) in the running of their businesses by not only offering business accounts but also a comprehensive set of highly usable and connected administrative solutions from invoicing to accounting. Tide has 650,000 SME members in the UK (more than 10% market share) and more than 400,000 SME members in India. Tide has also been recognised with the Great Place to Work certification two consecutive years in a row (2023-24 and 2024-25).
It employs nearly 2000 Tideans worldwide. Tide’s long-term ambition is to be the leading business financial platform globally.
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