Women Entrepreneurship in India

Women’s entrepreneurship plays a critical role in achieving inclusive economic growth and gender equity in India. Over the past decade, the Government of India has launched multiple schemes—such as the MUDRA Yojana, Stand-Up India, and PMEGP—to support women-led enterprises through financial inclusion, capacity building, and market linkages. However, the real impact of these schemes remains uneven across regions and socio-economic strata. This study adopts a case study approach to evaluate the effectiveness of these schemes in two Indian states—Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. Drawing on secondary data, policy reports, and impact studies, the paper identifies the barriers faced by women entrepreneurs and assesses scheme implementation outcomes. The findings reveal significant gaps between policy design and ground-level execution, especially in rural regions. Recommendations are offered to improve scheme targeting, simplify bureaucratic processes, and promote holistic support systems for women entrepreneurs

Bureaucracy · Business · Economic growth · Economics · Entrepreneurship · Financial inclusion · Financial services · Gender equity · Inclusive growth · Political science · Poverty · Tamil · Indian Economic and Social Development · Innovation and Socioeconomic Development · Microfinance and Financial Inclusion · Finance