New Delhi: When Smriti Irani founded the Alliance for Global Good - Gender Equity and Equality, the vision was clear - to bring about real c...
New Delhi: When Smriti Irani founded the Alliance
for Global Good - Gender Equity and Equality, the vision was clear - to bring
about real change for women by bringing together the right people,
institutions, and resources. That vision took a significant step forward on
March 17, 2026, when the British Council officially signed an agreement with
SPARK – The 100K Collective in New Delhi, with Smriti present as a driving
force behind the initiative. The event also saw Scott McDonald, Chief Executive
of the British Council, reaffirm his organisation's commitment to women's
growth and economic participation in India.
So what does this actually mean on the ground?
SPARK is a programme trying to reach 1 lakh women across India who have already
started their businesses but are stuck in the middle. They've outgrown
small-scale work but don't yet have the tools, skills, or connections to go
bigger. The British Council is stepping in to help with exactly that by
offering training in English, communication, and digital skills so these women
can pitch better, network more confidently, and open doors to larger markets.
For Smriti, this is precisely the kind of collaboration she has long advocated
for, one that goes beyond words and actually puts resources in women's hands.
The idea is bigger than just a training programme
though. SPARK wants to build an entire support system around women
entrepreneurs right from helping them understand governance and compliance, to
getting them visibility on national and global platforms. Smriti Irani's
Alliance for Global Good sits at the heart of this ambition, ensuring that
gender equity isn't just a talking point but a structured, scalable reality.
Speaking on the occasion, Smriti Irani, Founder of
the Alliance for Global Good - Gender Equity and Equality and Former Union
Minister, Government of India, said "The Alliance for Global Good - Gender
Equity and Equality was founded on the belief that advancing gender equity
requires strong collaboration across institutions and sectors. Women
entrepreneurs across India are already demonstrating extraordinary leadership
and resilience. By strengthening access to skills, resources, and supportive
networks, initiatives such as this can help women scale their ambitions into
sustainable enterprises and participate more fully in shaping India's economic
future."
Scott McDonald, Chief Executive, British Council,
said "At the British Council, we see education, skills and connections as
powerful drivers of opportunity. Supporting women to build the capabilities
they need to grow their businesses and participate fully in the economy is an
important part of that vision. Through this collaboration, we're pleased to
bring our experience in English and skills development to support women
entrepreneurs in strengthening their communication, expanding their networks,
and growing their enterprises with confidence."
Lindy Cameron, British High Commissioner to India,
says, "I'm really proud to have been at an event where the British Council
was signing an MoU to support SPARK which is a phenomenal program that helps to
give female entrepreneurs and particularly women who want to grow their
businesses, the kind of English language skills that allow them to grow their
businesses and be a bigger part of the global supply chain. It was so inspiring
to hear the work that is being done and the potential for even more women to
participate in that, and to meet some of the women who are already part of the
programme. I was really grateful that Smriti Irani, who was here helping to
kick off the program with all of the work she and her colleagues have done to
get us so far."
Susan Acland-Hood, Permanent Secretary at the
Department for Education, UK, says, "I'm here in India learning together
about education systems across the world and preparing for visits by our
ministers in the future. It was an incredibly inspiring event. It was really
exciting to hear from the women who've started what I think will be an
enormously exciting initiative to grow entrepreneurs and to support them by
bringing the opportunity to learn English. We know that language and
communication of all kinds can unlock opportunity, can give people access to
markets, can help people to communicate, challenge and change. I'm very excited
about anything that increases that opportunity, particularly for women across
India, but actually, I think there are lessons here for women across the
world."
The agreement was signed at the British Council's
New Delhi office, with senior leaders and partners from both sides present. It
signals a joint commitment to creating real, on-the-ground change for women-led
businesses by building skills, widening networks, and making sure women
entrepreneurs have a stronger seat at the table in India's growing economy.
No comments