Choudhary has inspired many women to start their own enterprises. Even if it meant starting from scratch or quitting a well paying job. For instance, Sushma Mahajan was a banker before becoming an entrepreneur. Says she, "I heard her and decided to quit my job and set up a handloom and textile unit." According to government estimates about 7 per cent womenare self-employed and entrepreneurs (in the organised sector). But Choudhary estimates that 30-35 per cent women in our country are self-employed in the organised as well as unorganised sector. She adds, ``The government must carry asurvey on women entrepreneurship." Such a step would not only help the government but also other sectors to know which way the women are heading towards, and would also help in development of programmes for womenin the future.

To ensure that entrepreneurship should not remain the prerogative of the rich, literate and the skilled, CWEI organises workshops and seminars for the unskilled especially in the unorganised sector. Says Choudhary, "All of us have inborn skills. It is only a matter of discovering our skills." The recently held workshop on Import-Export Documentation was conducted in Hindi for the benefit of women entrepreneurs belonging to the weaker sections of the society.

Besides, a project is being set up wherein both rural and urban women will be helped to become self-employed. It envisages setting up of a "common facilities centre", which will not only help the women in their work but also promote the idea of saving.

As a facilitator for women entrepreneurs, CWEI doesn't only promotesetting up businesses in traditional areas, like handicrafts and textiles, etc., but also "in areas like bio-technology and waste management, etc," according to Choudhary.

But the emphasis is on marketing. The CWEI has over the years provided marketing linkages to both urban and rural women, be it from the cottage or small scale industry. Says Sarita Trehan, jute garment designer, ``My hobby became my business activity with CWEI providing me marketing opportunities in various fairs and other venues." Apart from marketing, CWEI focusses on various aspects like micro credit, bank financing, licences, export, and import, etc, among other things.

The primary role of CWEI is to study the market and then advise women on the kind of products they should manufacture. The purpose is to make products competitive, and the business, fruitful. Undertaking eco-friendly projects is particularly encouraged. Projects may be about vermi compost, garbage collection or decomposition, etc.

And CWEI doesn't guide womenalone. Men like Mohammed Aslam who is into Agarbati industry and his wife regularly attend CWEI meetings and are exploring domestic and export market with CWEI's guidance. Says he, ``I am not the only one who attends their meetings with my spouse, there are many more like me."