It is a social cause with a difference. One that provides enterpreneurs with an opportunity to showcase their creative talents and, at the same time, offers consumers a wide range of gifts to choose from. The Women Entrepreneurs 2007 exhibition and sale organised by the Ladies’ Wing of the Indian Merchants’ Chamber (IMC), gives a platform to women, who don’t have any retail outlets of their own, to display their products and expand their business. This year, the event will be held at the Hotel Taj President, Mumbai from October 31 to November 1 and will feature 56 businesswomen and eight non-governmental organisations from Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Gurgaon, Ahmedabad and Coimbatore. A wide variety of garments, shoes, high-end jewellery, stationary and lifestyle goods will be on display.

“The exhibition’s basic theme is beyond empowerment: ‘Celebrating the complete woman’. We focus more on pricing, quality and design of the items, they are highly affordable and priced at convenient rates. Entrepreneurs who showcase their products here are not allowed to participate in any other event two months prior to it. This helps us to maintain the exclusivity of our programme,” says Minal Bajaj, president, IMC Ladies’ Wing. She explains how meticulous care is taken to select the exhibitors. “We call the participants in advance and screen their products carefully to ensure their high quality and novelty value before selecting them.”

The event is a not-for-profit endeavour and the IMC Wing uses the surplus to empower women through education, vocational training or guidance cells. The exhibition promises to be an event to look forward to in the festive season.