The India-Australia Women in Business Dialogue (IAWBD) Forum is early in its journey, but the intent is clear – deliver plans to increase women’s participation in business growth and development.
Launched by the Consulate General of India in Sydney in mid-March, its inaugural roundtable brought together senior leaders and young businesswomen from across sectors for a discussion on development of women in business with practical actions to achieve it.
Twenty-five women from a wide spectrum of industries – government and diplomacy, technology, healthcare, business, media, education, sustainability, and the creative sectors – took part in the roundtable discussion.
What is the IAWBD Forum?
The IAWBD Forum was established to ensure women are active participants in the growing trade relationship between India and Australia. It was founded with a focus on women-led enterprises that need support to access markets, secure investment, and build cross-border networks.
“From insightful discussions to meaningful networking, the Forum reinforced the growing role of women entrepreneurs as a powerful force shaping economic growth, innovation, and bilateral partnerships between India and Australia,” Dr S. Jankiraman, Consul General of India (Sydney) and chair of the event, wrote in his LinkedIn post.
The Forum’s ambition is to grow into an ecosystem where women can support and elevate each other across the corridor, with tangible outcomes as a measure of success.
Recommendations from the IAWBD Forum
“We often see the outcomes, growth, and success – less visible are the decisions, resilience and trade-offs behind it all,” event moderator Natasha Jha Bhaskar told Indian Link. “When women leaders come together to share experiences openly, it creates practical learning, trusted support and the opportunity to lift others as they climb. The IAWBD forum initiative creates space for conversations that build insights, capabilities and connections.”
Beyond inspiration, the IAWBD Forum has translated its discussions into a forward agenda aimed at strengthening India-Australia business engagement in practical, measurable ways.
Its recommendations signal a unified direction: less talking about opportunities, and more actually creating it. They cover three areas – access to markets, access to capital, and the support required to turn the access into real outcomes.
On access, the panel called for a network of advisors and sector-focused panels that give businesses a structured space to learn and navigate the realities of entering a new market. Digital resources would support self-directed learning, with the goal of providing a genuine soft landing for new entrants rather than leaving them to figure it out alone.
Alongside this, a central knowledge platform would cut through conflicting information online by documenting what has gone wrong for businesses, not just what has worked, so others can make better decisions earlier. It would also include a verified directory of investors and partners to support grassroots organisations in building trustworthy connections.
The panel also addressed capital directly. The proposed Corridor Capital platform would connect investors with businesses across both markets while helping those businesses become investment-ready. Women-led firms are the top priority here. This shows a change in how success gets measured, with deals and real outcomes, not just meetings and reports.
Archana Kapadnis, Executive Vice President, Growth and Partnerships at iSOFT Technologies, drew out the strong technology thread running through the discussion. “The IAWBD was a powerful reminder that women are not only participants but leaders shaping the technology‑driven future of the India-Australia business corridor,” she told Indian Link. “The discussions reinforced how technology can act as a true equaliser, enabling women‑led enterprises to scale across borders more rapidly. What stood out was the strong collective focus on digital innovation, capability building, and creating ecosystems that support sustainable, tech‑driven growth.”
Action plan
The report sets out a clear plan for the next 6 to 12 months. An advisory group of 10 to 12 senior leaders from diverse sectors will be established to guide the Forum’s direction and open doors for participants. A cross-border mentorship and sponsorship program will connect entrepreneurs with meteors who can make introductions to clients, investors and partners, working in targeted cohorts to keep connections meaningful. The first group of 20 to 30 women-led businesses will be selected and supported based on their specific needs.
A market access platform will go live as a central hub for practical market entry guides, honest analysis of what has and hasn’t worked, and a verified directory of partners.
Finally, the Forum will replace one-off events with recurring structured sessions, tracking progress from first introduction through to established deals. The measure of success will not be attendance, but outcomes.
Participant Sumeet Saigal, founder and CEO of SugarCube Foods Pty, summed it up for everyone. “The Forum marked a clear shift from conversation to tangible action, unlocking pathways for women to lead and scale across the India-Australia corridor. There was a powerful sense of collective ambition in the room, not just connect, but to actively support and accelerate the growth of women-led businesses across both markets.”
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