To Encourage Women Entrepreneurs, Maharashtra Forms Special Cell

By: WE STAFF | Tuesday, 5 January 2021

In the view to encourage women entrepreneurs in the state, the Maharashtra government has decided to set up a women entrepreneurship cell. The cell intends to increase the representation of women entrepreneurs in startups and entrepreneurship sectors, said Nawab Malik, the skill development and entrepreneurship minister.

The women entrepreneurship cell will be formed under the Maharashtra State Innovation Society. The skill development department has set up a 14-member committee, including women representatives from UN, Unesco, Unicef, and SNDT women’s university. Together they will set up special cell for female entrepreneurs. A GR issued by the skills department said that across the country, merely 14 percent of women are entrepreneurs. The committee will draw up a master plan and oversee workings of the cell. The cell will work to incubate ideas, help expand startups and upscale units. Additionally from 2020-21, 30 percent of the budget for startups will be reserved for women entrepreneurs.

The cell also provides financial assistance to startups by reimbursing a major fraction of their costs spent on filing patents and lab-testing for product launches. It will form a girl-student entrepreneurship clubs at colleges and universities. The club will provide training to students with interest in the sector. The cell will also develop new incubators for women entrepreneurs and will organize accelerator programs for expansion of the existing incubators.