Lok Sabha Question No. 4808 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-21
Subject: Support to Women-led MSMEs
Ministry: MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES
Asked by: Dr. Prabha Mallikarjun

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4808 TO BE ANSWERED ON: 21.08.2025

## SUPPORT TO WOMEN-LED MSMEs

## 4808. DR. PRABHA MALLIKARJUN:

Will the Minister of MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has undertaken any assessment of the disparity between the number of    PM  Mudra  Yojana  loan  accounts  held  by  women  and  the  relatively  lower  share  of  actual disbursed credit to them and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether any  financial  literacy  initiatives  have  been  rolled  out  to  improve  credit  access  for women entrepreneurs particularly in Tier 2/3 cities or rural areas and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government is working with commercial banks and NBFCs to improve formal credit flows to women-led MSMEs; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)

- (a): As informed by Department of Financial Services (DFS), as on June 2025, a total of 36.04 crore  loans  have  been  extended  to  Women  Entrepreneurs  under  Pradhan  Mantri  Mudra  Yojana (PMMY)  across the country, since inception of the Scheme.
- (b): The Ministry of MSME launched the 'Yashasvini Campaign' on 27.06.2024. The objective of the  Campaign  is  to  empower  women  entrepreneurs  across  India  through  various  schemes  on formalization, access to credit, capacity building and mentorship through awareness generation about these schemes.

Awareness programmes, including  for  enhancing  credit  access    are  conducted  by  the  field offices  of  Ministry  of  MSME,  in  coordination  with  MSME/  Industry  Departments  of  States/UTs concerned  and  other  MSME  stakeholders  like  CGTMSE,  SIDBI,  DFS  etc  through  physical workshops, social media etc.

As informed by Reserve Bank of India (RBI), it undertakes various awareness measures and initiatives to improve credit access and some of these initiatives are as follows:

-  RBI has been conducting Financial Literacy Week (FLW) every year since 2016 to propagate financial  education  messages  on  various  themes  for  public  across  the  country.  During  the week,  appropriate  programmes  on  the  chosen  theme  to  raise  awareness  among  the  public, including disseminating the messages in public places are conducted. Banks too disseminate the information and create awareness among their customers and the public by displaying the messages on their premises, ATM screens, websites. FLW 2025 has been conducted on the theme 'Financial Literacy: Women's Prosperity'.

-  Lead Banks have been advised to set up Financial Literacy Centres (FLCs) at district level and  to  conduct  camps  for  the  general  public,  as  well  as  for  different  target  groups,  which inter-alia includes Micro and Small Entrepreneurs and Self Help Groups.

(c) and (d): As informed by RBI, the Government had drawn up a 14-point action plan (now 13point  action  plan)  in  the  year  2000  for  implementation  by  Public  Sector  Banks  (PSBs)  to  help overcome the hurdles faced by women in accessing bank credit and credit plus services. The PSBs were advised to earmark 5 percent of their Net Bank Credit (NBC) for lending to women. The total outstanding credit provided by PSBs to women as on March 31, 2025, was ₹ 13,66,693.26 crore, forming 15.80% of NBC of PSBs. All 12 PSBs achieved the target of 5% of NBC for lending to women as on March 31, 2025.

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