Swavalambini Project Launched to Empower Womenpreneurs

By: WE Staff | Tuesday, 10 February 2026

• The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, abbreviated as MSDE, has started Swavalambini, an initiative for women entrepreneurs
• The initiative is in collaboration with NITI Aayog’s Women Entrepreneurship Platform

The Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship launched “Swavalambini ", an initiative to starting women entrepreneurs in India.

"Swavalambani" partnered with NITI Aayog's Women Entrepreneur Support System on the pilot project for this initiative will be implementing this in the six locations of India (Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Uttar Pradesh & Telangana) in February 2025 at six academic institutions with respect to their higher education programs.

The goal of this program is to empower the women of India through providing them with the necessary skills & resources they need to be successful in their entrepreneurial pursuits.

The Swavalambani program uses a multi-step training program model to enable women students to grow from the initial stage of thinking to executing the business. The program targets 1,200 female students from various higher educational institutions.

The Program will connect participants to mentors who will assist them in growing their business concepts into successful sustainable businesses over a 21-week mentorship program.

Well-known successful female entrepreneurs and business leaders will serve as mentors to participants, helping them create a strong support network.

In addition to providing support to females in school and college, Swavalambini also works to advance professional development for teachers through an FDP (Faculty Development Program). Teachers of school/college educators who participate in the program will receive five days of training to develop their skills as effective mentors for female entrepreneurs.

The NITI will further enhance this initiative through workshops, mentors, and seed funding for this initiative to take it to a greater level.

At present, Swavalambini has entered its pilot stage, and there are no plans to extend its operations to other areas, including Andhra Pradesh.

A system of monitoring and evaluating its effectiveness has been put in place to monitor its effectiveness in positively impacting the empowerment of women entrepreneurs in India.