The Economic Development Board (EDB), host agency for the ITC SheTrades Mauritius Hub, in collaboration with Huawei Technologies (Mauritius) Co. Ltd, successfully organised a workshop on “Introduction to AI and Digital Tools for Women-Led Businesses” on Friday, 6 November 2026, at the EDB Head Office in Ebene. Bringing together women entrepreneurs and business leaders, the workshop provided an opportunity to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies can support business growth, enhance productivity and strengthen competitiveness in an increasingly digital economy.
In her welcome address, Mrs Nirmala Jeetah, Director, Healthcare & Life Sciences and ITC SheTrades at the Economic Development Board, highlighted the transformative role of technology in today’s business environment. She stated, “Digital tools support all aspects of business management, from accounting, market research and database management to inventory control, customer relations, digital marketing and business planning,”. She added, “Technology is an enabler. It can free up your time, improve how you work and allow you to focus on growing your business.”
Mrs Jeetah further emphasised that digital capability has become essential for business growth and competitiveness. She encouraged women entrepreneurs to embrace the digital transformation with confidence and ambition, stating that equipping woman with digital skills goes beyond empowering individual entrepreneurs, it strengthens businesses, transforms communities and contributes to more inclusive economic growth.
In his address, Mr Naveen Peerthy, Director of the Enterprise Business Unit at Huawei Technologies (Mauritius) Co. Ltd, highlighted the growing importance of AI in driving business transformation. He noted that, at Huawei, AI is known as “Accelerated Intelligence”, reflecting the potential of technology to accelerate innovation, enhance productivity and create new opportunities for businesses and society.
Mr Peerthy further emphasised the importance of the collaboration between Huawei and the Economic Development Board in supporting the digital transformation of women entrepreneurs. He emphasised on the fact that AI is no longer simply an emerging technology, but an essential tool for businesses seeking to remain competitive, innovative and future ready.
The workshop featured a series of insightful and practical sessions delivered by experts from the technology and AI sectors.
Ms Farha Jhumka, Co-Founder and CEO of Bluefox SAS, delivered an insightful presentation on understanding and harnessing the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in business, with particular emphasis on its responsible and safe adoption. She highlighted how AI is transforming the way businesses operate, offering opportunities to simplify processes, save time, improve productivity and enhance overall business efficiency. She encouraged women entrepreneurs to look beyond AI as merely a technological trend and recognise it as a strategic business tool that can support everyday operations, from content creation and customer engagement to market research, data analysis and business planning. By leveraging AI to automate repetitive tasks and optimise workflows, entrepreneurs can free up valuable time and resources to focus on strategic priorities, innovation and business development.
Ms Jhumka also emphasised the importance of remaining agile and adaptable in an increasingly dynamic business environment. She encouraged participants to continuously rethink their business practices, embrace new ways of working and be open to reinventing their business models in response to evolving market trends and customer expectations. She underscored that the final check should always be conducted before going live.
Participants also benefited from an interactive and practical session led by Mr Dashil Cahoolessur, Senior Solution Manager at Huawei Technologies (Mauritius) Co. Ltd, who introduced a range of AI-powered tools and affordable digital solutions to enhance business productivity and operational efficiency.
Through practical demonstrations and hands-on exercises, participants explored how Microsoft Copilot for Excel can facilitate data analysis, automate tasks and generate insights to support business decision-making; Canva AI can assist in developing engaging marketing and communication materials; how AI-powered chatbots and call centre solutions can enhance customer service by handling enquiries, providing prompt responses and improving customer engagement. The session also highlighted automation platforms such as Zapier, which enable different business applications to be connected and routine workflows to be automated, reducing manual tasks and saving valuable time.
The practical demonstrations illustrated how these technologies can be integrated into everyday business operations to simplify processes, improve efficiency and optimise the use of available resources. By adopting the right digital solutions, women-led businesses can work smarter, enhance their customer experience, respond more effectively to changing market demands and strengthen their competitiveness.
The session reinforced the message that embracing AI is not necessarily about making substantial investments in technology, but rather about identifying business needs and leveraging accessible, fit-for-purpose solutions to drive productivity, innovation and sustainable growth.
The programme also featured a presentation by Mrs Tianyu Shen, Talent Manager at Huawei Technologies (Mauritius) Co. Ltd, who introduced the Huawei ICT Academy and outlined the company’s initiatives to nurture digital talent and strengthen ICT skills in Mauritius. She highlighted the importance of developing a skilled digital workforce as a key prerequisite for advancing Mauritius’ digital transformation agenda, achieving the ambitions of Mauritius Vision 2030 and supporting the country’s broader development goals. In this context, she presented Huawei’s Talent Development Programmes in Mauritius, which aim to address the growing demand for digital skills, bridge existing talent gaps and equip individuals with the competencies required to participate in the evolving digital economy.
The presentation also highlighted opportunities offered through international learning and knowledge-exchange programmes, as well as the CRA Training Programme, providing pathways for participants to enhance their technical knowledge, acquire relevant digital competencies and remain abreast of emerging technologies.
Through these initiatives, Huawei reaffirmed its commitment to contributing to the development of digital talent in Mauritius and supporting the country’s ambition to build a digitally skilled workforce capable of driving innovation, productivity and sustainable economic growth.
As AI and digital technologies continue to reshape the way businesses operate, compete and connect with markets, initiatives such as this workshop play an important role in ensuring that women entrepreneurs are equipped to seize the opportunities of the digital economy. The workshop reflects the continued commitment of the ITC SheTrades Mauritius Hub, hosted by the Economic Development Board, to support women-led businesses in building the capabilities needed to adapt, innovate and grow.
