New Initiatives Launched to Support Women Entrepreneurs in India

Event Overview: On March 1, 2024, Union Minister Narayan Rane of the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MoMSME) unveiled three significant initiatives aimed at promoting women entrepreneurship. These initiatives were introduced at the 9th Annual Shakti International Women Entrepreneurs Summit in New Delhi.

Initiatives Introduced:

1. Panjikaran Se Pragati:
   • A national campaign jointly launched by the MoMSME and the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP).
   • Encourages women entrepreneurs to register under Udyam to access a broad array of opportunities.
2. Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) Unnati – Udyamita se Pragati tak:
   • A collaborative program between MoMSME and WEP.
   • Focuses on elevating Women MSMEs through comprehensive capacity-building, leveraging the MSME-WEP Award-to-Reward (ATR) initiative.
3. Mentorship Platform:
   • Dedicated to fostering mentorship opportunities, supporting women entrepreneurs through guidance and expertise sharing.

Summit Details:

• Theme: The summit, aligned with International Women’s Day (March 8), was organized by the India SME Forum along with MoMSME and the Women Entrepreneurs Forum.
• Objective: To inspire and promote entrepreneurship among women, facilitate knowledge exchange, and empower women through entrepreneurship.

Highlights of the Summit:

• Celebrated the achievements of women entrepreneurs, particularly beneficiaries of the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) scheme.
• Recognized top-performing women entrepreneurs with honors during the event.

Statistical Insights:

• Over 1.40 crore MSMEs in India are now led by women.
• Introduction of free Zed Certification for women-owned MSMEs, promoting quality standards and recognition.

Key Attendees:

• Subhas Chandra Lal Das, Secretary of the MoMSME.
• Ms. Anna Roy, Advisor at the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog).

These initiatives reflect a significant commitment by the Indian government to enhance the business landscape for women entrepreneurs, aiming for substantial economic and social advancement.