NIC Programme Equips 30 Women Entrepreneurs for Growth

Empowerment

The atmosphere at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee auditorium in Moka on Friday, August 14, reflected the spirit of a unique initiative. Thirty women entrepreneurs received certificates after successfully completing the first cohort of the National Insurance Company’s (NIC) Entrepreneurial Empowerment Programme (EEP), an initiative designed to strengthen the skills and confidence needed to build sustainable businesses.

The blue hexagons projected across the walls and screens of the auditorium, resembling the cells of a honeycomb, were a fitting reminder of the NIC’s bee symbol. The image of a hive, sustained by the collective effort of its members, captured the spirit of a programme built around learning, collaboration and growth. Minister of Financial Services and Economic Planning Jyoti Jeetun was the chief guest at the ceremony.

Launched in April 2025, the EEP provides fully funded training over eight weeks, covering key areas such as business strategy, leadership, marketing, finance, human resources and customer communication. The 30 graduates, who completed their training between January and March 2026, followed the programme in two batches.

NIC Chairman Santosh Gujadhur described the EEP as the foundation of a broader ecosystem aimed at supporting entrepreneurs. This includes Lady Bees, an insurance scheme specifically designed for women entrepreneurs, as well as Busy Man, a similar initiative for men that is in the pipeline. The NIC group also plans to introduce microfinance facilities for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Addressing the graduates, Santosh Gujadhur spoke not only as chairman of the group but also from his own experience as an entrepreneur, recalling the sleepless nights associated with cash-flow pressures and the uncertainty of securing the first customers. The objective, he stressed, was not to create a symbolic programme but to build genuine entrepreneurial capacity. He also announced plans for a permanent SME support unit within the group.

The initiative, he added, is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 8, which promotes inclusive economic growth, productive employment and decent work.

Minister Jeetun praised the NIC initiative as an unusual example of private-sector involvement in an area more commonly associated with NGOs. She illustrated the potential of entrepreneurship through the story of a woman she has followed for some two decades.

The entrepreneur began by preparing snacks in her kitchen and taking them by bus to supermarkets in an effort to persuade them to stock her products. With no formal training in business management, she gradually built a company that now employs about a dozen people, has its own production facility and exports its products.

Minister Jeetun recalled that she had once questioned the entrepreneur’s decision to focus exclusively on vegetarian products rather than maintain a mixed offering. With hindsight, she admitted that she had underestimated the entrepreneur’s instinct and understanding of her market. Sometimes, she said, “your instinct, your knowledge of the business, your experience of what you do” can matter as much as formal qualifications.

For the minister, such stories underline the importance of entrepreneurship as a vehicle for economic mobility, particularly as Mauritius considers its long-term economic vision for future generations.

The ceremony also brought an unexpected competitive element. The 30 participants had not realised that submitting their projects would also enter them into a competition. Awards were therefore presented in five categories.

Marie-Catherine Chikoree received the Innovation Excellence Award. The Sustainability Impact Award was shared by Darshana Damini Beegun, Ketty Sally Jane Green Hoybun and Beebee Mushiirah Mungroo after the jury found it impossible to separate the quality of their projects. Husna Banu Yacoob Patel won the Creative Concept Award, while Noemie Edgar received the Jury’s Choice Award. The Most Promising Start Up Award, presented by Minister Jeetun, went to Ashna Sungkur.

A Special Mention Award was also presented to 73-year-old Iradhidevy Irany Rungasamy, a mother of three whose determination to continue learning throughout the programme earned particular recognition.

The first edition was exclusively for women, but the next chapter is already taking shape. The second edition of the EEP is set to open soon and, while remaining fully funded, will be open to all.

The bee may have provided the visual theme, but the message of the ceremony was clear: entrepreneurship, like a hive, grows stronger when knowledge, effort and support come together.

Mauritius Times ePaper Friday 21 August 2026