Women Entrepreneurship Programme

General Studies Paper -2 

Context: The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) launched the Women Entrepreneurship Programme.

About

• The initiative aims to empower 25 lakh women across India, providing them with the skills, knowledge, and resources needed to start and grow successful businesses.
• Divided into two phases, NSDC, with support from the National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD), will offer free online self-learning entrepreneurship courses through the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) as part of the programme.
• In the next phase, NSDC extends incubation support to 10,000 shortlisted contestants across 100 business models.

Challenges faced by Women Entrepreneurs in India

• Low risk taking ability: The women in India mostly lead a protected life, are less educated, less trained and get low financial support. Thus, they are not able to bear the amount of risk that is required for running an enterprise.
• Male-Dominated Society: Traditional Indian society is male-dominated, where women are often seen as subordinate to men. Women are restricted from pursuing entrepreneurial ventures, limiting their growth and prosperity.
• Conflict with Family commitments: Running a business often conflicts with family responsibilities, making it challenging for women to balance both.
• Mobility Constraints: Safety issues and societal expectations restrict their movement for business purposes.
• Access to Technology: Women face challenges in accessing the latest technology and integrating digital solutions into their business models, putting them at a disadvantage compared to male entrepreneurs.

Government Initiatives

• MUDRA Loans: It provides credit specifically for women entrepreneurs. It facilitates financial support for women-led businesses and startups.
• Stand-Up India Scheme: It encourages entrepreneurship among women by providing easy access to financing. It aims to promote self-employment and business ventures led by women.
• Trade Related Entrepreneurship Assistance and Development” (TREAD): The scheme envisages economic empowerment of such women through trade related training, information and counseling extension activities related to trades, products, services etc.

Under the scheme, there is a provision for the Government of India to grant up to 30% of the loan/ credit maximum up to Rs. 30.00 lakh as appraised by lending institutions/ banks.