CHENNAI: I believe that motivation and encouragement must begin from home,” said film director Aishwarya R Dhanush, at the launch of the third edition of the Homepreneur Awards on Tuesday. She went on to add that it was crucial for families to encourage women to scale greater heights, boost their confidence and fuel their dreams. “I am honoured to be a part of this initiative and be among so many amazing women,” she said. “It is a great initiative and one that is very important when we speak of women empowerment.
I have known most of the jury members through my life span and I feel honoured for that. I look forward to being a part of this journey and experience.” Naturals and the House of Brand Avatar decided that the efforts of these unsung women should get some recognition and out of that decision was born The Homepreneur Awards (Suyasakthi Virudhugal). These awards, which have run two successful editions, have created a platform to recognise, reward, celebrate and transform such home-based businesswomen who are carrying on diverse business activities from home — from baking, tutoring, freelancing, beautician, writing, healthcare services to catering. Rated under a dozen categories (agriculture, arts & culture, beauty & wellness, education, food & beverages, home professionals, healthcare, home retail, media entertainment, sports & fitness and social welfare), these awards are finalised by the following panel of a jury of eminent women from multiple disciplines.
The first two editions involved thousands of valid nominations from Tamil Nadu (both offline and online), shortlisting of 1,800 nominations, one-on-one interviews with 300 entrepreneurs and finally shortlisting over 90 women for the coveted awards. There have been workshops and consistent mentoring support from the jury members. The registration process for the third edition commenced on July 2 and will close on August 10. It will be followed by interviews starting from August 23 culminating in the colourful awards function on September 15.
This year, there will also be a new initiative which will involve an exclusive club called Homepreneur Circle that will allow Homepreneurs to interact, network and meet with the best in the industry. It will also enable them to enlist their products on the Homepreneurs website, promote their products/services on the social media platform, participate in the workshops organised by leaders of the industry and participate and interact in the Homepreneurs YouTube show featuring the jury members of the awards. The Homepreneurs – Student Edition will also recognise and motivate female college students for their passion for entrepreneurship.