Women Entrepreneurship and Rural Development in India

Rural women entrepreneurs in India play a crucial role in driving inclusive economic growth, reducing poverty, and advancing social transformation. By diversifying family incomes, generating local employment, and promoting sustainable livelihoods, they make significant contributions to rural development. This paper explores key Indian government schemes aimed at promoting women entrepreneurship—particularly in rural areas—and analyses the major challenges these women face. Special attention is given to initiatives such as the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY), Stand-Up India, Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), Mahila e-Haat, and sector-specific schemes such as the Mahila Coir Yojana. The paper concludes by putting forward evidence-based policy recommendations to enhance outreach, improve access to finance, build stronger training, and market linkages, and provide sustained institutional support to strengthen rural women’s entrepreneurship. This paper contributes by synthesizing government interventions with on-ground challenges and offering policy recommendations for inclusive rural entrepreneurship.