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Stream/Area:
-
Subject:
-
Paper ID:
IJSREM65995
Volume:
10 |
7 |
Jul 2026
Pages:
1-6
Publication Frequency:
Monthly (12 issues per year)
License:International Journal of Scientific Research in Engineering and Management follows the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) License, allowing free use and distribution with proper attribution.
MBA
Dr Ambedkar Institute of Technology
MBA
Dr Ambedkar Institute of Technology
The study explores the shift from empowerment to enterprise by assessing the growth of women-owned MSMEs from before and after COVID-19, based on secondary data from MSME Annual Reports, Udyam Registration Portal, Sixth Economic Census, NITI Aayog, and Stand-Up India Dashboard. Over this period, registrations increased from 8.05 lakh to 72.14 lakh, with 51.3% of enterprises in rural areas and 48.9% in urban areas, showing balanced regional spread. Educationally, 31.8% of women entrepreneurs have secondary or higher secondary schooling, 22.1% are graduates or above, and 19.4% are illiterate, indicating diverse entry into business. Sectorally, agriculture and manufacturing together account for 64.1%, trade 18.2%, and other services 17.7%, signaling gradual diversification. Policy impact is clear: Startup India reports 81.2% women beneficiaries and PM Mudra Yojana 68.2%, while Skill India at 41.6% and PMEGP at 34.5% show lower uptake. Key barriers remain significant, with 68% facing access to finance, 61% citing work-life balance, 52% constrained by social and cultural norms, 47% lacking skills and training, 43% facing market linkage issues, and 38% affected by regulatory complexity. Successfully turned empowerment initiatives into formal enterprise creation, especially through credit access and startup support. To move women-led MSMEs from survival to sustainable growth, future efforts should focus on cash-flow based lending, vernacular financial literacy, crèche support, e-commerce skilling tied to Mudra loans, Aadhaar-only registration, and mandatory onboarding onto Government e-Marketplace (GeM) and (ONDC), supported by annual disaggregated data for targeted policy design.
KEYWORDS
This study demonstrate that government schemes have successfully driven the transition from empowerment to enterprise for women in India. From 2016-17 to 2023-24, women-owned MSME registrations grew from 8.05 lakh to 72.14 lakh, with 51.1% in remote region. Although 64.1% of enterprises remain in agriculture and manufacturing, the 17.7% share in services and 22.1% graduate entrepreneurs show a shift toward skill-based ventures. The effectiveness of policy support is evident as Stand-Up India has 81.2% women beneficiaries and PM Mudra Yojana has reached 28.7 lakh women with collateral-free credit. Thus, empowerment programs and financial schemes are converting training and credit access into formal business ownership. The 81.2% women share in Stand-Up India suggests that scheme-specific credit provisions are actively promoting enterprise formation among women. The next step is to strengthen digital skilling, simplify finance, and improve market linkages to scale these enterprises from survival to growth and enhance women’s contribution to India’s economic development
1. Ministry of MSME. Annual Report MSME Annual Report 2023-24 (MSME) 2. Ministry of MSME (Udyam Registration Data) Udyam Registration Portal 3. Ministry of Finance. Stand-Up India Scheme Progress Report Stand-Up India Official Portal 4. Ministry of Finance. PM MUDRA Yojana Annual Performance Report MUDRA Official Website 5. Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. Sixth Economic Census MOSPI Economic Census Reports 6. Ministry of Rural Development. DAY-NRLM Annual Report DAY-NRLM Official Portal 7. Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. Skill India Mission Report Skill India Digital Hub 8. NITI Aayog (2022). Decoding Government Support to Women Entrepreneurs in India NITI Aayog Report PDF (NITI Aayog) 9. International Finance Corporation. Financial Inclusion for Women-Owned MSMEs in India International Finance Corporation (IFC) Reports
Publication Date
7/10/2026
Peer Review Type
Double-Blind Peer Review
Review Rounds: 2
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Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest related to this research work.
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