Investing in rural women entrepreneurs creates a ripple effect in their communities ๐พ
Ajaita Shah (@ajaita ), CEO of our grantee, @frontier.mkts , knows this well, leading efforts to bridge markets between rural customers and solutions in India, with women entrepreneurs as the connectors ๐ค
Learn more about her work, which she shared with us at our ASEAN Inclusive Growth Summit.
#ruralentrepreneurs #womenentrepreneurs #smallbusiness #ruralbusiness #india
This International Womenโs Day, we are proud to share a short film dedicated to the incredible Sahelis of She Leads Bharat. In the spirit of the #GiveToGain theme, we dedicate this film to the Sahelis who inspire us every day, and to the many women and partners who stand behind this journey.
Across thousands of villages, rural women entrepreneurs are stepping forward as trusted leaders in their communities - helping families access essential products, digital tools, financial services, and new opportunities. Every day, they are proudly leading change in their communities.
Different villages. Different languages. One shared identity:
โโMain hoon aapki Saheli.โ
Our gratitude to the incredible women of the Frontier Markets, advisors, partners, and the women that inspire us daily.
Together, we continue building a future where rural women lead change and opportunity reaches every part of the world.
Click to Watch : https://youtu.be/mtdv9d0uX8E
๐ Gujarat, we're here
#FrontierMarkets, in partnership with Saral Jeevan India Foundation and with the leadership of Apollo Tyres Ltd, has officially entered the state - launching She Leads Bharat: Udyam in Waghodia Block, Vadodara District.
In just 3 months:
- 200+ rural women entrepreneurs mapped
- 200 trained and certified
- 40 Super Sahelis activated for last-mile support
- Expanded from the planned 40 villages to 62 villages
- 193 women already transacting digitally
- 5.50+ lakh in delivered e-commerce orders
- โน1.38+ lakh earned in digital income
- 96%+ active transaction rate
This is more than a launch. It's momentum.
At the centre of this expansion is She Leads Bharat - a national movement building digitally empowered rural women entrepreneurs. Through the #Al-enabled #MeriSaheliApp, women are accessing e-commerce, financial services, assisted digital commerce, diversified product portfolios, and paid data collection opportunities - right within their own communities.
A special thank you to Apollo Tyres Ltd, Rinika Grover Shivani Mehrotra Mahalakshmi R for the leadership, trust, and shared commitment to building sustainable, tech-enabled livelihoods for rural women. We're excited to build this vision for Gujarat together - with scale, structure, and long-term impact at the core.
The demand is strong.
The adoption is fast.
The ambition is bigger.
Read more about this partnership, here: https://bit.ly/4serr9S
#SheLeadsBharat #Gujarat
Some rooms donโt just host events.
They hold stories of courage, quiet resilience, and unstoppable ambition.
Today, at the 7th edition of ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐, hosted by Apollo Tyres Ltd, ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐๐ฑ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ซ๐จ๐จ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ง ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ข๐ญ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ who are not just running businesses, but reshaping the futures of their communities.
The EK NAAM Change Agents honoured this year - ๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฏ๐ข, ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ฅ ๐, ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐, ๐๐ข๐ง๐ค๐ข ๐๐ข, ๐๐๐ง๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ฅ, ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ๐ ๐๐ข, ๐๐จ๐ก๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐๐ค๐ฌ๐ก๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ค๐ฎ, represent what inclusive development truly looks like on the ground.
Each of these women has:
- Built sustainable livelihoods
- Led with resilience in challenging ecosystems
- Created income opportunities beyond their own households
- Inspired other women to step forward
What makes this event more powerful is that these changemakers were identified through targeted grassroots interventions by Apollo Tyres, in close collaboration with ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ง ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง and #FrontierMarkets in presence of Anjum Chopra, former Captain of the Indian Womenโs Cricket Team and Mahalakshmi R.
Our Sahelis are proof that entrepreneurship at the grassroots is not small - it is transformative. When one woman builds economic independence, an entire community shifts.
Grateful to witness this moment of recognition. Even more excited for what these women will build next.
#EKNAAM #WomenEntrepreneurs #GrassrootsLeadership #InclusiveGrowth WomenEmpowerment HarSafarMeinDumHai
They came to learn. They showed up ready to lead.
At the #IndiaAIImpactSummit2026, Frontier Markets Sahelis arenโt just attending - they are stepping into the AI economy with confidence, curiosity, and ambition.
For years, rural women were seen as the last mile of technology access. Today, they are becoming the frontline of AI adoption.
With the Meri Saheli platform, Saral Jeevan India Foundation in partnership with Microsoft, we are enabling Sahelis to move from digital inclusion to AI-driven entrepreneurship - learning today, and within months, applying AI to grow their businesses, increase incomes, and transform their communities.
Because when rural women rise with technology, they donโt just change their own future - they reshape Indiaโs growth story.
#SahelisAtAISummit #SheLeadsBharat #AIForGood #RuralEntrepreneurs WomenInAI InclusiveGrowth
Our Sahelis in full action at the AI Impact Summit today! ๐
From stepping onto the global stage to actively using digital platforms in their daily work, they represent what real AI impact looks like in Bharat - practical, inclusive, and powered by women entrepreneurs.
Every tap on their phones reflects skills, confidence, and the drive to bring technology, opportunities, and services closer to rural households.
A proud moment for all of us at Frontier Markets as our Sahelis donโt just join the conversation on AI with Microsoft - they live it, lead it, and bring it to the last mile. ๐โจ
#AISummit #FrontierMarkets #SahelisOfBharat #WomenInTech #AIForImpact @ajaita
Demystifying the rural opportunity: โRural india is not hard to reach. Rural customers are living a digital life. Rural customers want quality and convenient service and are willing to pay. Rural india is a business opportunity- $100BN opportunity.โ Itโs time we recognize this reality and step in. We at Frontier Markets live this reality everyday and have achieved great business success - it was great to see Ajaita S. with Beyond Capital Ventures , Eva Yazhari , Mathilde Beniflah along with over 30 people in the room discussing this reality.
Now - letโs get that money and make it even bigger - #100mnwomen #sheleadsbharat #india
Watch @ajaita divulge in a thought provoking conversation with @consciousinvestor on the opportunities for Rural Bharat at 12:30 PM (GMT-4) tomorrow.
The conversation will dive deeper into the rural market opportunities in India and discuss the impact #frontiermarkets has been able to create with a network of 40k Sahelis.
#frontiermarkets #sheleadsbharat
#100MNwomen #ruralindia #ruralbharat
Super excited for our lady boss @ajaita who's is collaborating with @sheroesindia to further work on livelihood development for rural Indian women!
We also look forward to support innovative women centric brands like @opensecretsnacks to leverage from our network of 40,000 Sahelis!
#womeninbusiness #ruralindia #ruralwomen #ruralwomeninbusiness #womenentrepreneurs
With a vision to drive change for the betterment of Indian rural women, @ajaita has been spearheading #FrontierMarkets, a one of its kind tech first women-led social commerce in rural India. She has been able to create a massive impact and empower rural women with our Saral Jeevan Saheli Network.
It is a moment of honour and pride for #FrontierMarkets to share with all that @ajaita our founder and CEO has been awarded with '99 Achievers of India' accolade by @theindianachieversclub
#technology #socialcommerce #ruraldevelopment #ruralindia #india #womenentrepreneurs #womeninbusiness #commerce
Catch the highlights of @ajaita and @jobichsel interview with @shelleyzalis on @forbes . The interview talks about the recent research by @ubs which observed that womenโs wealth is growing, and there is a trend toward women wanting and taking control of their finances.
Read about the inspiring journeys of these women impacting lives and driving change.
Creating one of its kind Tech first women-led social commerce in rural India, @ajaita is conquering Frontier Markets.
Yet another feather in her cap- @fortune.india 40 under 40 2022 ๐ Ajaita Shah is a visionary, disrupting the rural commerce leveraging technology and data with insights from rural women. /40under40/ajaita-shah?year=2022
