Goldman Sachs

Choosing a programme

• The in-person programme suits established women entrepreneurs who meet the eligibility conditions and can attend three in-person teaching weeks.
• The online programme is free and self-paced, and is open to entrepreneurs anywhere, including those who cannot attend in person.
• Early-stage ventures and sole proprietors are not the audience the in-person programme is intended for.

Before you apply

• Check that your business has run for at least one year, has at least three employees and has an annual turnover above the minimum on the apply page. The site words that minimum differently in different places, so confirm the exact wording there.
• Previous 10,000 Women graduates cannot apply again.
• Plan around the dates: in-person applications close in November 2026, with a cohort start in November or December 2026.

How to apply

• Start with the two-minute expression of interest form on the apply page.

Goldman Sachs runs 10,000 Women as an initiative to foster economic growth through business education, mentoring and networking, and access to capital. In India, the in-person business education course is delivered with three Indian Institutes of Management, and a free online version is open to entrepreneurs around the world.

How the programmes work

The in-person programme is a three-month management and business education course. It includes more than 100 hours of learning, with three in-person teaching weeks on campus. Participants use the course's tools and techniques to analyse their business opportunities, build a growth plan and put that plan into practice in their own business. Tuition is covered, but travel, lodging and related expenses are not.

The online programme, 10,000 Women Online, is free and self-paced. It has ten core courses that cover the essentials of running and growing a business, plus three electives that go deeper into key areas. It is delivered in English, French, Hindi, Brazilian Portuguese and Latin American Spanish, in partnership with Coursera.

The site lists the in-person programme as open for applications, with a closing date in November 2026 and a cohort start in November or December 2026.

Who can apply

The in-person programme is designed for established women entrepreneurs who are key decision-makers in their businesses. Applicants must own or co-own a business that has been operating for at least one year, has at least three employees and has an annual turnover above a stated minimum. The site words that minimum in two ways: the eligibility list says more than it, while another section of the apply page says at least. Check the apply page for the current wording. Previous 10,000 Women graduates are not eligible, and the programme is not intended for early-stage ventures or sole proprietors.

The online programme has no stated eligibility conditions. It is open to entrepreneurs around the world, including those who cannot attend the in-person course.

Scale and reported results

The programme's own pages report figures for their reach. These are self-reported, and we have not verified them. Since 2008, it says it has trained more than 4,100 entrepreneurs from across India, and that its worldwide reach is more than 320,000 entrepreneurs across more than 150 countries. Its online programme reports more than 50,000 participants since 2008, based on internal data.

A 2023 report on the India community says that, on average, graduates quadruple their revenue, double their workforce and increase productivity five times within 18 months of graduating, and that each graduate creates five new jobs. Productivity is measured as average revenue per employee.

The India figures on revenue and jobs do not agree across the site. One page reports more than 12,000 new jobs created, while the live India page reports more than 110,000 jobs sustained, and the revenue totals differ between pages. This page does not quote a total for either.

Access to capital

Since 2014, the programme has worked with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) on the Women Entrepreneurs Opportunity Facility, which deploys financial solutions to increase access to capital for entrepreneurs. The facility works through financial institutions. Its figures, drawn from a 2025 progress report published with the IFC, say it has reached 107 financial institutions across 59 countries and more than 267,000 entrepreneurs.

Who runs it and where

Goldman Sachs runs the programme. The current India pages name three partner institutes: IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore and IIM Lucknow, which teaches across its Delhi and Lucknow campuses. An older 2023 report also credits the Indian School of Business, so check the apply page for the current partners before relying on either list.

Locations

The in-person programme runs on IIM campuses in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Lucknow and Delhi. The online programme is open from anywhere in the world.