Growth of Women Entrepreneurs in India

In India,  because of culture & traditions, women are supposed to perform household activities & take care of family because of these reasons women entrepreneurship is very low. But due to the widespread of education and social awareness during last three decades now women are showing interest in starting their own venture. Hence there is a considerable growth of women entrepreneurs.

Eg:- Mujumdar Shaw of Biochem, Shahanaj Husana, Mahila khadi Udyog.

Now a day’s in Indian women are willing to accept challenges & assume responsibility in economic social, political group. Generally, they engage them in tiny or small cottage  industries But recent study show women have been  starting ventures in  all the sector equivalent to male

A survey shows the following reasons for women to become the entrepreneur

• Lack of job opportunity
• The increasing cost of living
• Due to high education, they are entering into entrepreneurial activities
• A lot of opportunities in a market
• Family background of having business

a)Though women are entering into business activities they constitute  47.7% of the total population  but women workforce constitute only 28% of the female population

b)Total number of self-employed  women were engaged in an organized sector like handicraft, Agriculture, Handloom, Cottage base industry

c)1988-89 survey shows there was 153000 women entrepreneur which are 9%  of a total of 1.7 million in India. Thus 1980 onwards India has shown positive growth among women entrepreneurship during 95-96 there were 300000 women entrepreneur in India

In India women, entrepreneurs are classified as follows

1. Women with adequate education & professional qualification get engaged in the business
2. Middle-class women who have an education but lack training
3. Women who take up a business enterprise who face financial difficulties

Government Of India has made certain efforts through industrial policies

• 7-5 year plan

This plan has included a special provision for the development of women.1991 industrial policy highlights a special training programme to develop women entrepreneur. The objective of these plans was to increase the number of women in the field of small industry & to create self-employment

• 8-5 years plan

This plan gave importance to the development of the SSI sector. Before the implementation of this plan,  the percentage of women entrepreneur was 9 % & was targeted to 20%

In 1996 the Department of SSI under the ministry of industry had taken initiative to train lakh women entrepreneurs. Through various schemes like

1. Mahila Gramudyog Scheme
2. Jawahar Rojagar Uyojaga Scheme
3. Ibis Mahila Udyog Vidhi
4. Urban Poverty Education Programme
5. Scheme Of Nabard
6. Shakti Package for Women’s
7. Schemes of SBI

These were to stimulate growth among women

There is a federation of the society of women entrepreneur which also supports women entrepreneur. Besides this at state level also various programs are conducted

For Eg –women Industrialist Association of Maharastra was set up in 1985.

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