In India’s rapidly shifting entrepreneurial landscape, certain leaders stand apart not just for their business acumen but for the scale of social impact they create. Sairee Chahal, founder of SHEROES and Mahila Money, is one such changemaker. Her journey from an accidental entrepreneur to a globally recognized advocate for women’s economic participation is both inspiring and instructive.
The Accidental Entrepreneur
Chahal’s first brush with entrepreneurship came in the late 1990s while she was still a student. Armed with an MPhil in International Studies and later a PGDBM, she launched a newspaper for mariners—well before the startup ecosystem became a household term in India. That experience taught her the fundamentals of operations, distribution, and remote-first work, while setting the stage for her future ventures.
It wasn’t a planned path, but one shaped by curiosity, resilience, and a determination to solve problems others overlooked.
SHEROES: A Digital Safe Space for Women
In 2014, Chahal founded SHEROES, a platform that quickly evolved from a simple helpline into a comprehensive digital ecosystem for women. Today, SHEROES connects over 24 million women across India, offering career guidance, entrepreneurship opportunities, mental wellness resources, and safe spaces for peer-to-peer engagement.
What sets SHEROES apart is its community-first approach. Unlike many platforms designed around transactions, SHEROES focused on trust, empathy, and shared experiences. Whether it’s a woman seeking remote work, advice on navigating workplace bias, or simply a supportive community, SHEROES has been a go-to destination.
Mahila Money: Financing Women’s Ambitions
While SHEROES built digital communities, Chahal soon identified another barrier—access to capital. In 2021, she co-founded Mahila Money, a fintech platform offering collateral-free microloans tailored to women entrepreneurs.
Launched during the pandemic, Mahila Money began with ₹5 lakh from Chahal’s personal funds to test if trust-driven lending could work. It did. The platform now provides loans ranging from ₹10,000 to ₹2,00,000, enabling women to start and scale ventures in sectors like tailoring, catering, handicrafts, retail, and education.
Beyond financing, Mahila Money builds financial literacy and peer support networks, ensuring that entrepreneurship is not a solitary journey but one strengthened by community. In partnership with Visa and Transcorp, it even launched the Mahila Money Prepaid Card, widening access to digital payments for women entrepreneurs.
Recognition and Advocacy
Chahal’s work has earned her global recognition. She has received the Cartier Women’s Initiative Award, the Femina Achievers Award, and the Devi Award, and has been consistently listed among Business Today’s Most Powerful Women in Indian Business.
She also serves on the boards of Paytm Payments Bank, Milaan Foundation, and Aspire Capital, extending her influence beyond her own ventures to the broader ecosystem of fintech, education, and social entrepreneurship.
A Vision Rooted in Empathy
For Chahal, the internet is not just technology—it is the new electricity, a force that must empower women as much as men. Her ventures embody a philosophy of empathy-driven growth: SHEROES remains free for women, Mahila Money lends when women are ready, and every service is designed with the user’s dignity in mind.
Her leadership style reflects incremental but steady change, akin to ants building a colony—small, consistent steps that together create enduring impact.
Why Her Story Matters
Sairee Chahal’s journey underscores a critical truth: women’s economic participation is not a side narrative—it is central to India’s growth story. By giving women digital platforms, safe spaces, and access to capital, she is not just building companies; she is enabling millions of women to rewrite their life scripts.
