Pune Inc | Meet the Pune entrepreneur helping women build and scale businesses
Pune-based entrepreneur Nikita Vora's SHELeadsIndia empowers women entrepreneurs to scale using smart digital systems, marketing technology, and artificial intelligence-driven content strategies, among others.
When Nikita Vora worked in an office, there was an unspoken competition between her and the salesperson, who went out into the field to make sales. She jokes, “Being a lazy person, I would sit in the office and do digital marketing and beat their sales target. That’s how digital marketing became very interesting for me.”
Vora is the founder of SHELeadsIndia, a business that empowers women entrepreneurs to scale using smart digital systems, marketing technology, and artificial intelligence-driven content strategies, among others.
Women make up only 14 per cent of the total entrepreneurship in India. The Government of India has several initiatives, including grants, to increase women’s participation in enterprise. “But how will women entrepreneurs rise to the next level if they do not know technology? Out of 100 women entrepreneurs, only three might have their own website. A website is a very basic asset for any entrepreneur. This is the foundation of my mission. I am teaching them technology. They can avail themselves of government support and double their business,” says Vora.
Vora doesn’t train women to chase likes but to build digital assets. She has worked with more than 10,000 women entrepreneurs across India—and is raising the target for herself for 2026. A challenge is that a lot of women were never taught to prioritise their careers. And there is a myth that women and technology don’t mix, just like “women and finance don’t go together”. Vora has seen many women with promising ideas call the men in their families before making decisions. Several will use their husband’s old laptop or their children’s cell phone to trade or carry out a business.
Vora does not try to change social mindsets—she focuses on skilling the women. Every year, she hosts a day-long event, EmpowerHer, that connects early-stage women entrepreneurs with established founders. She herself is a hardcore salesperson, having honed her skills since childhood. “I come from a Gujarati business family. I have seen my father, grandfather, and everybody else in businesses. Since I was in Class 4, I knew that I wanted to get into business,” she says.
A sales lesson she learnt as a child
Vora’s family did not have the concept of pocket money. Instead, her father would give her an item, such as a chain or a pen, and ask her to sell it to buy the chocolate that she craved. “Today, I understand it was such a great sales lesson for me. As a business owner, that has been such an asset for me,” she says.
Bubbly and eloquent, Vora sheds light on a lesser-known aspect of selling that women discuss among themselves. “A lot of women have a problem of being judged if they are in sales. There are cases of harassment and sexual and verbal abuses as well,” she says. Though she was an average student, Vora completed her BBA, during which she would take the lead in organising events and getting sponsorships.
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She earned her master’s degree from Christ University, Bengaluru, and FWHS from Germany.
Even as she faced social prejudices as a working woman, Vora was determined to ease the way for others. She wanted women to earn “because, like it or not, self-respect comes from money”. After setting up a couple of startups, experiencing success and losses, Vora started SHELeadsIndia during the Covid pandemic, when she began to get calls from women entrepreneurs who wanted to learn digital marketing. Her first free webinar was on April 28, 2020, and 90 people attended. A second workshop was equally successful. These led the way to SHELeadsIndia, which focuses on training and consulting, including for international businesses. She fortified her skills with an executive course from IIM Ahmedabad in digital marketing.
SHELeadsIndia’s offerings include creating LinkedIn systems that attract inbound leads, Instagram automation for content and community, creating websites, setting up AI-powered content strategies, and weekly masterclasses and offline events for women founders. Among her students are doctors, established businesses, homemakers starting a new company, and followers of religious or spiritual leaders who want views for their messages. She collaborates with marketing companies and helps their businesses grow. “I tell them, ‘Come to me with your digital challenges, and I will teach you to solve them’,” she says.
Dipanita Nath is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. She is a versatile journalist with a deep interest in the intersection of culture, sustainability, and urban life.
Professional Background
Experience: Before joining The Indian Express, she worked with other major news organizations including Hindustan Times, The Times of India, and Mint.
Core Specializations: She is widely recognized for her coverage of the climate crisis, theatre and performing arts, heritage conservation, and the startup ecosystem (often through her "Pune Inc" series).
Storytelling Focus: Her work often unearths "hidden stories" of Pune—focusing on historical institutes, local traditions, and the personal journeys of social innovators.
Recent Notable Articles (December 2025)
Her recent reporting highlights Pune’s cultural pulse and the environmental challenges facing the city during the winter season:
1. Climate & Environment
"Pune shivers on coldest morning of the season; minimum temperature plunges to 6.9°C" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on the record-breaking cold wave in Pune and the IMD's forecast for the week.
"How a heritage tree-mapping event at Ganeshkhind Garden highlights rising interest in Pune’s green legacy" (Dec 20, 2025): Covering a citizen-led initiative where Gen Z and millennials gathered to document and protect ancient trees at a Biodiversity Heritage Site.
"Right to breathe: Landmark NGT order directs PMC to frame norms for pollution from construction sites" (Dec 8, 2025): Reporting on a significant legal victory for residents fighting dust and air pollution in urban neighborhoods like Baner.
2. "Hidden Stories" & Heritage
"Inside Pune library that’s nourished minds of entrepreneurs for 17 years" (Dec 21, 2025): A feature on the Venture Center Library, detailing how a collection of 3,500 specialized books helps tech startups navigate the product life cycle.
"Before he died, Ram Sutar gave Pune a lasting gift" (Dec 18, 2025): A tribute to the legendary sculptor Ram Sutar (creator of the Statue of Unity), focusing on his local works like the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue at Pune airport.
"The Pune institute where MA Jinnah was once chief guest" (Dec 6, 2025): An archival exploration of the College of Agriculture, established in 1907, and its historical role in India's freedom struggle.
3. Arts, Theatre & "Pune Inc"
"Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak were not rivals but close friends, says veteran filmmaker" (Dec 17, 2025): A deep-dive interview ahead of the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) exploring the camaraderie between legends of Indian cinema.
"Meet the Pune entrepreneur helping women build and scale businesses" (Dec 16, 2025): Part of her "Pune Inc" series, profiling Nikita Vora’s efforts to empower female-led startups.
"How women drone pilots in rural Maharashtra are cultivating a green habit" (Dec 12, 2025): Exploring how technology is being used by women in agriculture to reduce chemical use and labor.
Signature Style
Dipanita Nath is known for intellectual curiosity and a narrative-driven approach. Whether she is writing about a 110-year-old eatery or the intricacies of the climate crisis, she focuses on the human element and the historical context. Her columns are often a blend of reportage and cultural commentary, making them a staple for readers interested in the "soul" of Pune.
X (Twitter): @dipanitanath ... Read More
