Women Entrepreneurship

Government has taken several measures aimed at promoting entrepreneurship among women in the country. These include:

1. Initiative of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE):

To encourage women entrepreneurship within the Country, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) implements the project named‘Economic Empowerment of Women Entrepreneurs and Startups by Women’.The project pilots incubation and acceleration programmes for women micro entrepreneurs to start new businesses and scale up existing enterprises.

2. Initiatives of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME):

Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP): a majorcredit-linked subsidy programme aimed at generating self-employment opportunities through establishment of micro-enterprises in the non-farm sector.Any individual above 18 years of age is eligible to avail benefits of the program.
For beneficiaries belonging to special categories such as women/ scheduled caste/scheduled tribe/OBC /minorities, ex-serviceman, physically handicapped, North Eastern Region(NER), Hill and Border areas etc. the margin money subsidy is 35% in rural areas and 25% in urban areas.
Special provision of 3 per cent procurement from Micro and Small Enterprises owned by women.

The Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) was launched on 8 March, 2018 on the occasion of the International Women’s Day as NITI Aayog’s flagship initiative. WEP has pan India coverage and does not have state specific programme/s. Registration on the portal and all subsequent services are provided free of cost for WEP users. WEP caters to both aspiring and well established women in the space of entrepreneurship.

Skill development through Rural Self Employment and Training Institutes (RSETIs),is a Bank-led initiative, enabling a trainee to take bank credit and start his/her own micro-enterprise.
RSETI program is currently implemented through 585 RSETIs by 23 Leading Banks (both Public Sector and Private Sector as well as few Gramin Banks) in 33 States/UTs covering 566 districts in the country.
Training in RSETI is being imparted for 61 courses aligned with National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF). Out of 61 courses as many as 38 following courses are exclusively suitable for women candidates for taking up-self employment ventures after being trained in these courses.

This information was given in a written reply by the Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani in Lok Sabha today.