Kotak BizLabs and NSRCEL Announce Next Edition of the Women Startup Program

KOCHI:
Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd. (“KMBL” / “Kotak”) today announced the upcoming edition of the Women Startup Program (“WSP”) by NSRCEL, powered by Kotak BizLabs. The programme, a CSR initiative by Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd, provides critical, long-cycle support for women founders navigating the journey from ideation to scale-up, with a distinct focus on unlocking potential in Tier-II and Tier-III cities.

WSP has till now brought 600+ aspiring and established women entrepreneurs under the vital ecosystem access and mentorship. While India’s startup base has expanded rapidly to reach over 223,000 recognised ventures, women entrepreneurs continue to face entrenched barriers such as limited access to credit and fewer mentorship opportunities. These challenges are particularly acute in non-metros, where social expectations, including caregiving responsibilities, further constrain women in terms of the time they can invest or risks they can afford to take.

Recognising that a woman’s entrepreneurial journey is often non-linear, the Women Startup Program moves beyond generic incubation. The programme’s architecture spans four critical phases: a Foundation phase for exploring entrepreneurship; Pre-incubation to stress-test ideas; Incubation for evolving and pivoting ventures; and a Scale-up hub for founders navigating growth, credibility, and market access.

Himanshu Nivsarkar, Head – CSR & ESG, Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd said, “Capital is only part of the problem, and often not the first. For many women, the bigger challenge often is lack of peer ecosystem that supports them in long‑term decision‑making. The Women Startup Program under Kotak BizLabs is committed to building that self-reinforcing network, providing women founders with the capability, confidence, and continuity they need to ensure they don’t fall out of the entrepreneurial pipeline.”

Rasika Prashant, Chief Executive Officer, NSRCEL, said, “The next wave of entrepreneurship in India will emerge from diverse geographies, sectors, and founder backgrounds. Women entrepreneurs, particularly in Tier-II and Tier-III cities, are solving critical challenges in their communities, but often lack access to the networks and support systems needed to scale. Through the Women Startup Program, we aim to bridge these gaps by providing structured, long-term support that combines mentorship, market access, peer learning, and ecosystem connections. With our continued partnership with Kotak Mahindra Bank, we are building pathways that enable more women founders to transform ambition into sustainable and scalable ventures.”

To strengthen startup ecosystem beyond major urban centres, Women Startup Program is expanding outreach efforts across non-metro regions. Current cohorts include ventures working in regenerative agriculture, community-led education, waste upcycling, and applied technology. Building on the success of the 2025 cohort, which supported 30 startups with ₹3 crore in funding, the programme will continue to deepen partnerships with regional institutions and entrepreneurial ecosystems.

The integration of the Women Startup Program into Kotak BizLabs marks the evolution of the programme into Kotak’s flagship entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem, thus holistically catering to all types of entrepreneurs.