Here's the first weekly roundup for September. This past week saw a slew of activities centred on women's empowerment. There were collaborations for Improving Maternal Healthcare Quality Standards in India, fundraising, accelerator programmes, and Entrepreneurship Programs for Women, among many other activities.Oasis Fertility whiich was co-founded by Dr. Durga G. Rao, raised $50 million from Kedaar Capital. 91Springboard and "Google for Startups" have partnered to provide a virtual accelerator programme for female entrepreneurs. In addition to these, we have covered a number of additional articles about the empowerment of women. Discover some of the most important strides made this week in the area of women's empowerment.
Dr Durga G. Rao Co-Founded Oasis Fertility raises $50 million from Kedaar Capital
Oasis Fertility, Hyderabad based specialty healthcare startup, has raised $50 million from Kedaara Capital to amplify its efforts to make strategic headways in the current market.
In a statement the company stated that a significant minority stake worth $50 million was bought by Kedaara Capital. There was also a commitment to deploy further capital for strategic acquisitions and support Oasis in becoming the leading fertility chain in India and adjacent markets. The transaction will provide an exit to InvAscent, who invested in the company in 2016.
Founded by DrDurga G. Rao and KiranGadela in 2009, Oasis Fertilityhas scaled to a network of 26 clinics across 16 cities. The startup has doubled its revenues in the last three years. Oasis recently launched first-of-its-kind andrology (male infertility) practice called AndroLife.
AFI Partners with HSBC India to Support Young Women Athletes
Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has announced its partnership with HSBC India to support women athletes of the country, especially youngsters.
Under the partnership, promising girls will be picked up from the National Inter District Championships for under-14 and Under-16 categories. The chosen athletes will be nurtured to perform on the global stage.
“Special coaching camps would be set up for the selected athletes and all their needs would be taken care of,” AFI President, Adille Sumariwalla said at the launch of the partnership
FOGSI Signs MoU with NABH to Collaborate on Improving Maternal Healthcare Quality Standards in India
The National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH)/Quality Council of India (QCI), India's apex body for accreditation and quality promotion, and the Federation of Obstetricians and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI), India's professional organisation representing practitioners of obstetrics and gynaecology, announced their partnership to advance the Government's vision to improve the quality of maternity services. By working together, NABH and FOGSI will be able to review maternity service providers (MSPs) under the umbrella of "One Nation, One Standard."
This is an essential sectoral collaboration for quality improvement aimed at strengthening health systems for safer birthing in India and lowering maternal mortality in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Clinical standards will be evaluated under the MoU, guaranteeing consistent, safe, and respectful treatment for mothers during and after childbirth, in hospitals and nursing homes with maternal care facilities. This partnership will advance and standardise quality across all MCH institutions in the nation, marking a significant development in India's expanding healthcare system.
Women's World Banking Management Leads a Rs 170 crore fundraising Round for Bike Bazaar
Bike Bazaar, which was originally founded in 2017 as a used two-wheeler financing company by former Bajaj Auto executive Srinivas Kantheti and former Bajaj Finance executive Karunakaran Vadakkepat, now operates a number of businesses in the two-wheeler market, including a marketplace for pre-owned two-wheelers, a new electric vehicle financing business, as well as additional services like leasing and insurance. According to officials, it will also increase servicing.
Before establishing company, the founders worked for decades in the automotive and related financing industries.
91Springboard Partners with "Google for Startups" to offer a Virtual Accelerator Programme for Women Entrepreneurs
A co-working space called 91Springboard has partnered with Google For Startups (GFS) to introduce "Level Up," a pan-Indian virtual accelerator programme designed to help women entrepreneurs advance their businesses and maximise their potential. Key components of business, technology, leadership, and investment readiness are combined in the accelerator programme. It offers mentoring, masterclasses, connections and tools for women entrepreneurs to refine their models, enhance their leadership skills and prepare them to get investment-ready in order to grow businesses and gain access to capital, a statement said.
Google for Startups is Google's initiative to help startups thrive. To help startups create better products, it combines Google's products, connections, and best practises.
Soumya Guguloth and Jyoti Chouhan of India are ZNK Dinamo Zagreb's First Foreign Recruits
Soumya Guguloth, a member of the Indian women's national team, and Jyoti Chouhan, a colleague at Gokulam Kerala FC, have signed a one-year deal with Croatian powerhouses Dinamo Zagreb, becoming the club's first foreign additions.
Croatia's most successful club, Dinamo Zagreb, has won 46 trophies. Alongside European powerhouses like Chelsea and AC Milan, their men's team is in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League for the 2022–23 season.
The women's squad, ZNK Dinamo Zagreb, has similar aims and is counting on the two Indian players to help them get there.
EDII Introduces Micro-Skills Entrepreneurship Programme to Support 10,000 Women-Owned Green Enterprises
A skill development and entrepreneurship programme for women-led green enterprises is being introduced in 100 districts across India by the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), a training centre for entrepreneurs. The goal is to give 10,000 women the tools they need to launch and run MSMEs. At a roundtable discussion on the program's operating principles held on Friday at the India International Centre (IIC) in New Delhi, the announcement was made.
The program's goal is to develop and support female entrepreneurs over the course of 1,000 days, mostly in Tier II and Tier III cities.
According to Sunil Shukla, the institute's director general, they will choose the program's recipients from among the women already engaged in green entrepreneurship, the students at the institution, and those attending other educational institutions that are EDII's partners.
60-Day Special Leave for Women in Case of Infant Death at Birth: Centre
According to a directive from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), all female central government employees will be entitled to a special maternity leave of 60 days in the event that a child dies during pregnancy or soon after birth.
According to the statement, the decision was made in consideration of the potential emotional trauma a stillbirth or the death of a child soon after birth could cause, which would have a profound effect on the mother's life.
The DoPT reported that it has been receiving a number of references and inquiries asking for clarification regarding the granting of leave or maternity leave in the event of a stillbirth or premature death of a child.
