More than 1.40 crore MSMEs are managed by women in India which is a huge surge of women entrepreneurs in the MSME sector, states Narayan Rane, Minister of MSME at the 9th Annual Shakti International Women Entrepreneurs Summit held in New Delhi. He further mentioned that the Zed Certification of MSMEs that are led by women is free of cost.
The Summit was organized on March 1, 2024, by the Indian SME Forum and the Ministry of MSME partnered with the Women Entrepreneurs Forum (WEP) where prominent women entrepreneurs, global government leaders, and other delegates include Anna Roy, Mercy Epao, S.C.L. Das, and Dr. Ishita Ganguli Tripathi were present at the event. The event was held to offer support to the women entrepreneurs of India along with cherishing the achievements made by them to help in the economic advancement of the country.
The Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Entreprises (MSME) has introduced three new initiatives during the event to boost women's entrepreneurship in India. The government is fostering women's entrepreneurship through policies, support, and registration, contributing to India's economic development and creating a conducive environment for their growth.
The first initiative is 'Panjikaran Se Pragati' that is a joint venture driven by the Ministry of MSME and the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) that encourages the registration of businesses under Udyam for female entrepreneurs in order to access several opportunities and benefits. This initiative aims to empower women entrepreneurs with better resources for their business development.
The second initiative by the Ministry of MSME and WEP is 'Wep Unnati - Udyamita se Pragati tak' which is also known as the Award-to-Reward (ATR) Program. The respective program aims to accelerate the growth of women-led MSMEs by providing capacity-building support. Women entrepreneurs can enhance their skills, receive mentorship, and expand their networks under this program.
The third initiative launched is the 'Mentorship Platform' where aspiring or budding female entrepreneurs can receive personalized guidance from experts. The mentors will offer in-depth knowledge of the sector, boost confidence, and help in skill development.
