This document discusses women entrepreneurship in India. It notes that women make up about 50% of the population but only 10% of entrepreneurs. Women can be entrepreneurs due to economic factors pushing them to be independent. The government and organizations provide various schemes to encourage and assist women entrepreneurs through access to capital, markets, and training. However, women entrepreneurs still face challenges such as lack of access to finance, mobility issues, and societal biases. With technological changes and continued support, the future opportunities for women entrepreneurs are expected to grow significantly.

1. Women Entrepreneurship
Introduction:
Women are goal-oriented, flexible, tolerant, creative,
realistic, enthusiastic and energetic because of which the
management style differs from their male counterpart.
They are by and large born managers as they manage their
house. They can simultaneously do more than one task at
a time and have good coordination skills. They invariably
think of entering a business once their children are grown
up and household responsibilities get reduced. Women rely
on their finance and avoid availing of loans. They also differ
from men in the types of business they start.
Status in India:
Women constitute about 50% of the population of India
with lower literacy rate than that of men. They, however,
constitute 10% of the number of entrepreneurs in India.
For the economic growth of the nation, women should not
be ignored and they should be encouraged to make their

2. share of economic contribution to the country. One way of
achieving is by making women come out and become
entrepreneurs.
Definition:
Women entrepreneurs may be defined as “woman or group
of women who initiate, organize and run a business
enterprise.” Government of India has defined women
entrepreneurs based on women participation in equity and
employment of a business enterprise. Accordingly,
“ a woman-run enterprise is defined as an enterprise owned
and controlled by a woman having a minimum financial
stake of 51% of the capital and giving at least 51% of the
employment generated in the enterprise to women.”
Women become entrepreneurs due to economic factors
which push them to be on their own and urge them to do
something independently. Women prefer to work from
their own residence. Difficulty in getting suitable jobs and
the desire for social recognition motivate them towards

3. self-employment. We see a lot of women professionals in
engineering, medicine, law and also as a Chartered
Accountants, etc. They are also setting up hospitals,
training centres etc.
Problems of Women Entrepreneurs:
Despite emphasis and importance given to development
of women entrepreneurship, the pace is slow and in terms of
number, they are no where near to their share in the
population. This is due to the following problems:
 Problem of Finance
 Limited Mobility
 Lack of Education
 Male dominated society
 Low risk-bearing ability
 Social recognition
On account of the above mentioned reasons, the
enterprises of women face several problems in finance,
marketing and expansion.

4. Steps to encourage Women Entrepreneurs:
In order to encourage women entrepreneurs, the
Government of India and state governments as well as non
government organizations(NGOs) promote various schemes
There is a women’s wing of National Alliance of Young
Entrepreneurs (NAYE) which assist women entrepreneurs
in:
(i) Providing access to capital, infrastructure and markets
(ii) Development of management and production capabilities
(iii) Identifying business opportunities
(iv) Sponsoring, delegating, participating in trade fairs,
exhibitions, arranging buyer-seller meets and
conferences
(v) Organizing seminars, workshops and training programs
for giving wider exposure to women entrepreneurs to
develop their entrepreneurial capabilities
(vi) Lobbying for them in Press, Parliament, State
assemblies and other fora

5. (vii) Advocating effectively for securing their rightful place
in the Indian economy
State governments have formulated special schemes for
encouraging women entrepreneurs to take up
entrepreneurial activities. Commercial banks have
“Women entrepreneur Cells” to extend financial assistance
to women. The IDBI has set up the Mahila Udyam Nidhi
(MUN) and Mahila Vikas Nidhi(MVN) schemes to help
entrepreneurs. MUN provides 15% equity assistance for a
new project, its cost not exceeding Rs.10 lakhs. MUN
scheme extends aid to voluntary agencies in decentralized
industries for training-cum-production centres and also
for management and skill upgradation.
Other Schemes:
• Indira Mahila Yojana
• Rashtriya Mahila Kosh
• NORAD
• ARVIND

6. • DWCRA
• TRYSERM
There are special special entrepreneurship programs for
women with a view to encourage them to enter industry.
Product and process-oriented courses enabling women to
start small scale industries are also recommended.
Several central and state level banks and voluntary agencies
are engaged in protecting and developing women
entrepreneurs in the rural and urban areas of the country.
Other agencies are:
 AWAKE (Karnataka)
 WEMA (Maharashtra)
 SEWA (Ahmedabad)
Business Opportunities for Women Entrepreneurs:
o Agro based industry like food preservation, dairy and
poultry
o Textile, weaving and handloom activities
o Teaching , nursing, electronic and computer services

7. o Agarbathi making, papad making, bedspread making
o Embroidery, handicraft exports, batik painting,
o Apparel manufacturing, catering services,
o Event management, grocery, drug store
o Service centres like plumbing, electric repairs,
o Stationery stores, photo-copier firms, travel agencies
o Florist shop, working women hostel etc.
Future of Women Entrepreneurs:
With the help of high technology, women will be able to
work from home and thus balance better between the work
place and home. The opportunities for women will increase
manifold with the changes in technological, cultural and
social environment. Women need assistance and support
in the marketing their products. An organization could be
set up for marketing of the women entrepreneur products
exclusively. A private distribution agency with wide
distribution network can take up the marketing of
products produced women entrepreneurs.