These two Indian metros are among top global cities for women entrepreneurs

Delhi and Bengaluru are among the top cities globally for women entrepreneurs, a new report has revealed. It also said that these cities provide skilled workforce, accessibility and inclusive policies.
As per the findings of 2023 Women Entrepreneur Cities (WE Cities) Index, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai are featured among the top 50 in this list, indicating these cities provide a beneficial business environment for women entrepreneurs. The report ranks 55 global cities based on their ability to attract and foster high-potential women entrepreneurs (HPWE) who want to start and scale a business.
Delhi shows ‘significant improvement’
Delhi has demonstrated significant improvement over its score in 2017 by offering a skilled workforce and cost benefits, making it a preferred city for women-led businesses. Mumbai features for the first time in the Index, and Bengaluru is one of the top 10 cities in the world, which provides accessibility and inclusive policies.

“The WE Cities report not only illustrates the rise of women entrepreneurs in India but also addresses the gaps in access to resources and opportunities to truly unleash their full potential. The pandemic has tightened the correlation between talent and technology. Women entrepreneurs view technology skills as vital but compete with understanding to be able to navigate through the digital age,” said Swati Mishra, Director, and GM, Small Businesses, Dell Technologies India.
Delhi has highest momentum score
Delhi has the highest momentum score compared to 2017, the base year. Momentum score provides insights into how a city is progressing compared to its history, and that of others. Factors such as growing population, low cost of living, and availability of skilled workforce have resulted in significant improvement for Delhi’s score.
Delhi is ranked 6th in the share of the population with tertiary education. The talent pool available across genders also adds to the potential for future growth. Its recent Delhi Startup policy Delhi envisions making the city a “startup destination for the world” by 2030.

Bengaluru ahead of Paris, Washington DC
Bengaluru is ranked fifth in the top ten operating environments list and appears on this list ahead of Paris and Washington DC, and other cities.
“Bengaluru provides market size, cost, access, and policies that can benefit and accelerate the growth of women entrepreneurs. Bengaluru has a momentum score of 58.5 and falls under the ‘Cities on the radar’ category of progress. This category is a list of 13 up-and-coming cities that have the potential to host some of the cities’ women entrepreneurs. Delhi is also a part of this list,” the report said.
Along with Montpellier, Auckland, Wellington, and Hamburg, Mumbai has also been inducted into the WE Cities Index.