NSRCEL and Kotak Mahindra Bank Launch Womentum 2026 to Support Women Entrepreneurs

Bengaluru, February 26, 2026: NSRCEL, the startup incubator of IIM Bangalore, in association with Kotak Mahindra Bank, unveiled Womentum 2026, a national platform aimed at supporting and empowering women-led entrepreneurship, with a focus on founders beyond metropolitan cities.

Held on February 26 at Taj Yeshwantpur, Bengaluru, the event brought together more than 500 founders, investors and ecosystem leaders. The platform featured keynote sessions, panel discussions, a founder spotlight series and a structured investor pitching forum.

Womentum 2026 seeks to address funding and network access gaps faced by women entrepreneurs, particularly those from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Organisers noted that women-led startups continue to receive a relatively small share of venture funding, with disparities more pronounced outside major urban centres.

The event facilitated direct engagement between founders and investors, with discussions covering leadership, scaling small and medium enterprises, emerging funding pathways and the role of women-led enterprises in economic growth.

Anand Sri Ganesh, CEO, NSRCEL, said, “Womentum was envisioned as a national platform to catalyse women-led entrepreneurship at scale. By convening founders, investors, and ecosystem stakeholders, we aimed to strengthen access to capital, networks, and opportunities for women entrepreneurs across India.”

Himanshu Nivsarkar, Sr EVP & Head – CSR & ESG, Kotak Mahindra Bank, said, “The founders are looking for consistent, honest support, access to networks, clarity on funding and confidence that the ecosystem is genuinely on their side. That’s what Womentum is about, and its why Kotak is committed to this for the long term.”

Womentum is part of the Women Startup Program (WSP), a joint initiative by Kotak Mahindra Bank and NSRCEL that supports women-led ventures across India. The 2026 edition expanded the programme into a larger national forum aimed at improving visibility and access for women founders.