Lok Sabha Question No. 3648 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-10
Subject: Women-led Enterprises
Ministry: MICRO,SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES
Asked by: Thomas Chazhikadan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3648 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.08.2023

## WOMEN-LED ENTERPRISES

3648. SHRI THOMAS CHAZHIKADAN:

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

- (a) the  percentage  of  Micro,  Small  and  Medium  Enterprises  (MSME)  businesses  owned  by women in the country;
- (b) the challenges being faced by women-led enterprises in the market place;
- (c) the steps taken to improve women's education and skill levels, access to critical resources such as credit, marketing and distribution networks and the technical and managerial knowledge; and
- (d) the policy initiatives to help women-owned MSMEs in capacity training programmes?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (SHRI BHANU PRATAP SINGH VERMA)

- (a): As  on  06.08.2023,  as  per  Udyam  Registration  Portal,  the  percentage  of  women  owned Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises registered since inception (01.07.2020) to 06.08.2023 in all India was 19.5%.
- (b) to (d): Ministry  of  MSME  has  launched  'SAMARTH  2.0'  on  08.03.2023  to  support women-owned MSMEs. Under SAMARTH, the following benefits are available to aspiring and existing women entrepreneurs:
- i. 20% Seats in free Skill Development Programmes organized by the Ministry of MSME has been allocated for Women.
- ii. 20% of MSME Business Delegations sent to domestic & international exhibitions under the schemes for Marketing Assistance implemented by Ministry has been dedicated to women owned MSMEs.
- iii. 20% Discount on annual processing fee on NSIC's Commercial Schemes.
- iv. Special Drive for registration of women-owned MSMEs under Udyam Registration

The Government has taken a number of initiatives to support women owned MSMEs in the country, which includes:

- i. Ministry  of  MSME  implements  Entrepreneurship  and  Skill  Development  Programme (ESDP) to motivate youth, representing different sections of the society including women, to consider self-employment or entrepreneurship as one of the career options. The scheme mandates 40% participation from weaker sections of the society including women and no fee will be charged for participation.
- ii. To  encourage  entrepreneurship  among  women,  Ministry  of  MSME  implements  'Skill Upgradation  &  Mahila  Coir  Yojana'  under  Coir  Vikas  Yojana,  which  is  an  exclusive training program aimed at skill development of women artisans engaged in the Coir sector.

- iii. The  Ministry  also  implements  Prime  Minister's  Employment  Generation  Programme (PMEGP),  which  is  a  major  credit-linked  subsidy  programme  aimed  at  generating  selfemployment opportunities through establishment of micro enterprises in the non-farm sector by  helping  traditional  artisans  and  rural/urban  unemployed  youth.  Under  the  scheme, women are provided higher subsidy (up to 35%) vis-a-vis non-special category (up to 25%).
- iv. To  support  Women  Entrepreneurs  under  Credit  Guarantee  Scheme  for  Micro  &  Small Enterprises, two provisions have been introduced for women  entrepreneurs' w.e.f. 01.12.2022. These are:
- a. 10% concession in annual Guarantee fees; and
- b. 10  %  additional  Guarantee  coverage  of  up  to  85%,  as  against  the  75  %  for  other entrepreneurs.
- v. To  benefit  women  entrepreneurs,  the  Public  Procurement  Policy  was  amended  in  2018 mandating  Central  Ministries/Departments/  Undertakings  to  procure  at  least  3%  of  their annual procurement from women entrepreneurs.
- vi. Participation  of  women  entrepreneurs  in  trade  fairs  under  Procurement  &  Marketing Support Scheme is subsidized 100% vis-a-vis 80% for other entrepreneurs.

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