With nearly half of the world’s citizens living in India and women accounting for almost 50% of the Indian population, it is an economic necessity for women to play a key role in building a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Women’s participation in the workforce must increase significantly from the current 30% to 70%.
Founded by Dr. Uma Natarajan and Dr. Ganesh Natarajan, Shakti 2047 is focused on empowering, energising, and enabling women to become successful future leaders in the AI era.
Shakti 2047 is an initiative focused on empowering women in colleges, corporates, and entrepreneurship by helping them build successful and aspirational careers. The program supports women in discovering their potential, overcoming self-limiting beliefs, and achieving leadership goals through mentorship, training, industry connections, and peer networking. Its vision is to create successful women leaders, while its mission is to empower one million women by 2047 to contribute significantly to India’s economic growth.
The platform provides AI-powered career and entrepreneurial guidance, mentorship support, a safe learning environment, and structured programs for Active Entrepreneurs, Aspiring Entrepreneurs, and Self-Employed Women. These programs include modules on business planning, AI tools, finance, branding, fundraising, digital marketing, customer acquisition, communication skills, and leadership development. Through its strong support ecosystem and “Pay-it-Forward” culture, Shakti 2047 aims to help women achieve clarity, confidence, and long-term success.
The WeCAP program (Women’s Empowerment and Career Accelerator Program) is NEF’s flagship initiative to support mid-career women professionals in breaking barriers and rising as leaders. Despite women making up 48% of university graduates, only 33% enter the workforce at entry-level roles, and representation falls further to 24% at managerial positions. The leadership pipeline remains thin, with just 17% of women reaching the C-suite and holding 20% of board seats in India. This “broken rung” not only stalls careers but also constrains India’s economic potential.
Research shows that companies with greater gender diversity in leadership deliver 50% higher profits after tax, and that India needs an additional 400 million women in the workforce by 2047 to add $14 trillion to the economy. The question is not whether women should rise – it’s how quickly we can enable it. WeCAP aims to provide that pathway.
Through WeCAP, NEF is not just enabling women professionals to thrive, it is driving the cultural change India needs, where women’s growth at work is celebrated as central to our journey toward Viksit Bharat.
We are building an ecosystem where senior citizens thrive by sharing their expertise to nurture entrepreneurs, professionals, and communities, and shaping dialogue and action towards sustainability, inclusion, and a Viksit India.
Buddy Wiz is NEF’s dedicated mentoring and career support online platform designed to power entrepreneurial and professional journeys. It brings together students, professionals, and entrepreneurs with mentors, curated resources, and opportunities to learn, grow, and contribute. As NEF’s overarching platform for all mentoring initiatives, Buddy Wiz ensures structured guidance, meaningful connections, and measurable impact.
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