Swathi Nelabhatla, a techie and a mother of a child with autism, knows the challenges of working women. “They have degrees. They have skills – both professionals and artistic. But a good number of them are forced to quit jobs or unable to monetise the unique skills,” she points out.
The tech-based gig economy is all about men and their ability to tap opportunities in a variety of sectors. It’s not the same case with women. Though having equal or more abilities in a variety of skills, they are not in a position to tap this opportunity.
Identifying this lacuna, Swathi Nelabhatla, a techie-turned-entrepreneur, has started Sitha App, which is available both on iOS and Android app stores, which lets women showcase their niche skills, which can range from coding to art, music, interiors, to design and wellness.
Millions of skilled women remain underemployed due to rigid work formats, career gaps, or personal commitments. With over 200 million women in the country seeking meaningful work, Sitha bridges this gap, unlocking access to flexible opportunities across technical and non-technical domains — from home services and teaching to legal consulting, wellness, travel services, and digital gigs.
“There is no such platform which can cater to the requirements of women. There are vast pools of experts in a variety of professional and artistic services but they have no avenue to monetise their skills. Sitha App addresses this challenge,” Nelabhatla told businessline.
second venture
This is Nelabhatla’s second venture that exclusively caters to the needs of women. Her maiden venture, SheJobs, helps women techies find jobs.
“The Sitha App services are available across the country. But we would do town-specific and city-specific marketing campaigns to promote the idea,” she said.
Sitha creates a dignified and flexible earning ecosystem, offering verified home services, community-based gigs, digital consulting, and handicraft.
“With structured onboarding, AI-powered gig matching, secure payments, and a robust support system for skill-building, the app stands out as India’s first women-exclusive gig marketplace,” she said.
The platform aims to empower 1 million women entrepreneurs by 2027.
She said SheJobs, a five-year-old platform, was launched in the US before expanding to India. The portal has a database of almost 1 lakh women.
“While SheJobs is primarily focused on tech-based jobs, Sitha wants to focus on flexi opportunities, helping women monetise their skills. The idea for Sitha arose from feedback from women who were not in tech or had other skills (like tailoring) and needed a suitable platform,” Nelabhatla said.
The app allows users, regardless of their primary profession, to list their skills. Users can find customer leads and earn money on their own terms, setting their own fees and working hours.
Beyond services, the platform also allows users to list and sell products like sarees, jewellery, and handmade paintings.