Telangana forms Women Entrepreneurs Executive Council to boost female-led businesses
The council aims to improve access to funding and markets for women-led enterprises ahead of the Invest Telangana Global Summit 2026.
The Telangana government has established the Women Entrepreneurs Executive Council (WEEC) to support women-led businesses, according to Moneycontrol. The council is chaired by Women and Child Welfare Minister D Anasuya Seethakka and will operate ahead of the Invest Telangana Global Summit 2026, which is scheduled for December 7 to 9 at Bharat Future City in Hyderabad.
The initiative follows a DealStreetAsia funding review stating that startups founded solely by women raised approximately 0.97 per cent of private capital in India in 2025. Sita Pallacholla, CEO of WE Hub, has been appointed as the member convenor of the council.
Minister Seethakka said women in Telangana are building businesses in cities, villages, and self-help group networks and deserve capital, markets, and policy that work for them. She stated that women's enterprise is a matter of economic competitiveness rather than welfare and that the government will work through WE Hub to remove barriers.
The council will focus on four pillars: institutional and policy leadership, urban entrepreneurship and innovation, inclusive enterprise and social impact, and corporate partnerships involving capital and investment. These groups will study necessary changes, implementation methods, and scalable initiatives for the next 12 to 24 months.
Divya Devarajan, CEO of SERP/MEPMA, will lead the policy pillar, while Naiyya Saggi, founder and CEO of EDT, will lead urban innovation. Harish Hande, founder and managing director of Selco, will lead social impact, and Ankita Vashistha, founder and managing partner of Arise Ventures, will lead the capital and investment pillar.
The council's findings will be compiled into a white paper with EY as the publication partner for release at the 2026 summit. WE Hub will act as the nodal agency to implement recommendations shared with various state departments, including Industries and Commerce and Information Technology, Electronics and Communications (ITE&C).