Women's Entrepreneurship in India: Opportunities, Challenges & Future Outlook

By: Ayushi Dutta, Senior Correspondent

Government Schemes and Support for Women Entrepreneurs in India

India’s policy ecosystem has increasingly recognised the need for targeted support for women entrepreneurs. Several government schemes and programmes are designed to improve access to finance, skills, markets and entrepreneurship opportunities.

Stand-Up India facilitates bank loans ranging from ₹10 lakh to ₹1 crore for at least one woman borrower per bank branch to establish a greenfield enterprise. By addressing one of the biggest barriers faced by first-time entrepreneurs, access to finance, the scheme aims to encourage more women to enter formal business ownership.

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Mahila E-Haat provides women entrepreneurs with a digital platform to showcase and sell products directly to customers, helping reduce dependence on intermediaries and expand their market reach.

PM Vishwakarma supports traditional artisans and craftspeople through skill development, toolkits and collateral-free credit. With a ₹1,530 crore allocation for 2025–26, the scheme is particularly relevant to women working in traditional sectors such as weaving, tailoring, pottery and embroidery.

The Entrepreneurship Skill Development Programme (ESDP) focuses on strengthening managerial, financial and digital capabilities. With ₹38.4 crore allocated for 2025–26, the programme aims to equip aspiring and existing entrepreneurs with practical skills required to operate and grow their businesses.

Mahila Coir Yojana specifically supports women in rural coir-based micro-enterprises and received an allocation of ₹3.59 crore for 2025–26.

For the startup ecosystem, the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme has approved ₹227.12 crore for 1,278 women-led startups since April 2021. The Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups also guaranteed ₹24.6 crore in loans for women-led ventures during its first year of operation.

Meanwhile, the GeM Womaniya initiative continues to strengthen market access by tracking procurement from women-owned businesses. Women-led enterprises accounted for 5.6 per cent of total GeM orders in FY 2025–26, exceeding the mandated 3 per cent procurement target.

These measures are complemented by the Union Budget’s support for first-time entrepreneurs, including women from Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities, through term loans of up to ₹2 crore for eligible entrepreneurs.