To encourage entrepreneurship among women, the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) implements various schemes.
The Ministry implements Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) is a major credit-linked subsidy programme aimed at generating self-employment opportunities through establishment of micro-enterprises in the non-farm sector by helping traditional artisans and rural/urban unemployed youth.
For women entrepreneurs, higher subsidy is given. Under the Mahila Coir Yojana, the Ministry provides stipendiary training for women artisans in the coir industry and encourage them to set up their own micro enterprises by availing the benefits of PMEGP.
The Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro, and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) provides guarantee cover to collateral and/or third party guarantee free credit facilities extended by eligible Member Lending Institutions to Micro and Small Enterprises. CGTMSE has increased the extent of guarantee coverage of credit to 85% for women entrepreneurs.
As an additional concession to Women Entrepreneurs, CGTMSE has reduced the Annual Guarantee Fee by 10%. Through an amendment to the Public Procurement Policy, the Government has mandated that all Central Ministries/ Departments and Central Public Sector Undertakings should procure at least 3% of their annual procurement from women owned micro and small enterprises.
The Ministry also implements several other schemes for promotion and development of MSMEs, including women owned MSMEs, namely, Micro and Small Enterprises Cluster Development Programme (MSE-CDP), Tool Rooms & Technology Centres, Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI), Procurement and Marketing Support (PMS) Scheme, Entrepreneurship and Skill Development Programme (ESDP).
The Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) initiated by NITI Aayog facilitates last mile dissemination of all information required by an existing or prospective entrepreneur, including Government and Non- Government initiatives. WEP aims to address the information asymmetry and helps nurture women entrepreneurship.
For all entrepreneurs including women, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) nurtures innovation among the youth of the country through Atal Tinkering Labs, Atal Incubation Centers and Atal Community Innovation Centers. AIM is a flagship initiative of the Government of India.
The Government also launched Startup India initiative in 2016 with an aim to build a stronger ecosystem for nurturing India’s startup culture that would further drive our economic growth, support entrepreneurship, and enable large-scale employment opportunities. It, inter alia, assists in strengthening women entrepreneurship, through policies and initiatives, and creation of enabling networks.
The Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Livelihoods Mission and Start up Village Entrepreneurship Programme of the Ministry of Rural Development aim to help women Self Help Group members in setting up micro units.
The percentage of women-owned MSMEs registered on the Udyam Aadhaar portal and Udyam Registration portal during the period 18.09.2015 to 30.06.2020 and 01.07.2020 till 27.07.2023 in the country and in Assam is given in Annexure.
