As part of an ongoing commitment to nurturing female-led enterprise across the region, blink by Emtel, in partnership with the Women Entrepreneur Awards (WEA), hosted a comprehensive capacity-building workshop on Friday, 14 August 2026, at the Turbine in Moka.
The full-day event brought together women entrepreneurs for intensive masterclasses covering digital transformation, artificial intelligence integration, legal frameworks, and human resource management.
Since the inaugural edition of the Women Entrepreneur Awards in 2023, blink by Emtel has served as a primary sponsor and strategic partner. The collaborative initiative reflects a shared commitment to providing bold, female-led business concepts with the technological infrastructure, commercial visibility, and operational tools required to scale across the Indian Ocean region.
Speaking on the impact of the session, Kirti Sheonarain, Founder of the Women Entrepreneur Awards, noted: “Since our inaugural edition, blink by Emtel has been far more than a sponsor — they have been a true partner in visibility, credibility, and impact. Their consistent support proves what is possible when a major brand genuinely invests in women-led entrepreneurship. Gathering at the Turbine was about more than sharing knowledge; it was about equipping the women who are shaping the future of our regional economy with the exact tools they need to scale.”
Equipping Entrepreneurs for a Tech-Driven Market
The workshop at the Turbine was specifically structured to address the core operational and technological challenges facing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) today.
The morning session opened with an interactive presentation on digital transformation led by Caleb J. Samy, Manager – Product and Marketing. “Transformation means doing something different and getting different results — it’s not just about doing better what we’re already doing. Today, businesses of any size can access the same opportunities as the big companies. The question is: if you have an app, is it worth developing it for other markets too? Is it worth having a website optimised for mobile, or should that only be for desktop?” said Caleb.
This was followed by a dedicated session on “Artificial Intelligence for SMEs,” led by Geshna Ballgobin, Assistant Manager – Strategy & Innovation, where participants explored practical AI tools to optimise workflows and enhance business efficiency. “From generative AI, which can help create and analyse content, to AI agents that can carry out tasks towards a defined goal, AI today is giving businesses practical ways to work more efficiently. For SMEs, the opportunity is really about automating and delegating repetitive tasks to AI tools, doing more at scale through no-code and low-code solutions, and extracting insights from data to create business value,” said Geshna.
The agenda then shifted to structural governance, with Parikshit Radha, Head of Legal & Regulatory Affairs at Emtel, guiding founders through essential legal considerations, compliance frameworks, and contract structures vital for scaling enterprises. “In this session, we covered the legal risks associated with small SMEs, small companies and startups. We went through different aspects of risk — like IP rights, and the essential elements of contracts, including employment laws and regulations,”.
In the afternoon, Priya Foolchand-Chunderdeep, Head – People & Culture at Emtel, alongside her team, facilitated two interactive roundtables focused on talent acquisition, retention strategies, and building resilient workplace cultures. “My contribution to this workshop focused on helping participants understand the people-management aspect of their role, the challenges they face, and sharing my own experience in managing peopleI also shared insights into the legal framework and responsibilities they need to understand as employers. I wish all our women entrepreneurs every success as they continue to grow and run their businesses,” said Priya. The workshop concluded with an interactive Q&A and feedback session.
