IMFA Launches ‘Sakhi Seed’ Initiative to Unlock India’s Invisible Women Entrepreneurs

By Kalinga Voice Last updated Jun 24, 2026

A first-of-its-kind catalytic grant and mentorship programme seeks to demonstrate that women excluded from formal finance can build successful, sustainable enterprises

Bhubaneswar, Odisha,June 23: The Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys Ltd. (IMFA), through its CSR arm, Bansidhar & Ila Panda Foundation (BIPF), announced the launch of the Sakhi Seed Initiative—an innovative programme designed to support rural and nano women entrepreneurs who are often excluded from traditional sources of finance despite possessing viable business ideas and strong entrepreneurial potential.

Under the initiative, ten women entrepreneurs will each receive a grant of ₹5 lakh, along with structured business mentorship from XIM Bhubaneswar, enabling them to strengthen and scale sustainable enterprises. The programme is built on the principle of catalytic capital—patient, risk-tolerant funding that empowers entrepreneurs at the earliest and most vulnerable stage of their journey.

Unlike conventional financing, the Sakhi Seed Initiative recognises that many promising women entrepreneurs operate outside the formal financial system. They often lack collateral, documented credit histories, formal registrations, or extensive paperwork, making them ineligible for institutional credit despite running resilient businesses that support their families and communities.

Shaifalika Panda, Founder & CEO, Bansidhar & Ila Panda Foundation, said: “The programme seeks to build evidence that women who do not currently qualify for formal credit can establish sustainable, growth-oriented businesses when provided with the right combination of capital, mentorship and ecosystem support. Sakhi Seed Initiative has a broader ambition—to create a proof of concept that can influence entrepreneurial finance in India to look beyond collateral and extensive credit history.”

The initiative is guided by an accomplished Advisory Board comprising Ajaita Shah, Founder and CEO of Frontier Markets and President of Frontier Innovations Foundation; Chetna Gala Sinha, Founder of Mann Deshi Foundation; Shaifalika Panda, Founder and CEO of BIPF; Neha Juneja, Co-founder and CEO of IndiaP2P; and Shereen Bhan, Managing Editor, CNBC TV18.

Applications for the inaugural cohort are now open and will remain open until 20 July.Women entrepreneurs interested in applying can submit their applications at: https://imfasakhiseed.accubate.app/ext/form/23777/1/apply.

IMFA Sakhi Seed is also being implemented in partnership with CNBC-TV18’s Future. Female. Forward (FFF) platform, bringing national visibility to women entrepreneurs and contributing to a broader conversation on inclusive entrepreneurship and gender-responsive finance. As the programme’s knowledge and business school partner, XIM University will provide business coaching, and capacity-building support to enhance participants’ capabilities in enterprise planning, financial management, marketing, and market linkages, while facilitating access to industry experts and business networks.