Lok Sabha Question No. 1829 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-10
Subject: Training Programmes for Women Entrepreneurs
Ministry: SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Asked by: Dr. Amar Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. - 1829

ANSWERED ON 10/03/2025

## TRAINING PROGRAMMES FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

1829. Dr. AMAR SINGH

Will the Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship be pleased to state:

- a) whether the Government is aware of the need to focus on training programmes for women entrepreneurs on business management;
- b) if so, whether the Government is planning for dynamic aspects such as cash flow and inventory, marketing focusing on customer  retention, creating resilience  mechanisms (insurance, savings, Government schemes, diversification, etc.), measuring the social impact of the enterprises, and hands-on technical and leadership training; and
- c) if so, the details of the initiatives that are proposed to be taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

THE  MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

(SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

(a) to (c) The  Government  recognizes  the  importance  of  providing  entrepreneurship development training for women to enhance their business acumen and management skills. The government  has introduced various Entrepreneurship  Development  Programmes addressing  key  dynamic  aspects,  including  cash  flow  management,  marketing  strategies, resilience-building  mechanisms  (such  as  insurance,  savings,  government  schemes,  and diversification),  and  hands-on  technical  and  leadership  training.  These  initiatives  include interventions to build entrepreneurial mindsets and capabilities among women, support the growth  of  women-led  enterprises,  and  provide  mentoring  and  handholding  support  for entrepreneurship development amongst women.

The  Ministry  of  Skill  Development  and  Entrepreneurship  (MSDE)  is  implementing  several initiatives to equip women entrepreneurs with essential knowledge in business management, financial  literacy,  and  leadership  development.  These  initiatives  are  executed  through  its autonomous  organizations,  namely,  the  National  Institute  for  Entrepreneurship  and  Small Business  Development  (NIESBUD)  and  the  Indian  Institute  of  Entrepreneurship  (IIE).  The details of such initiatives are at Annexure-I.

Moreover,  there  are  various  schemes/  programmes  being  implemented  by  Ministries/ Departments  of  Government  of  India  with  the  objective  of  promoting  entrepreneurship, including female entrepreneurship. The details of some of the key initiatives implemented by other Ministries/ Departments are at Annexure-II.

ANNEXURES  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  OF  PART  (a)  to  (c)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1829 ANSWERED ON 10.03.2025 REGARDING 'TRAINING PROGRAMMES FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS'

The details of various initiatives being implemented by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship for women entrepreneurs are as under:

1. Strengthening  Entrepreneurial  Climate  through  Capacity  Building,  Incubation Support,  Mentoring,  and  Handholding  under  SANKALP  Scheme  MSDE through  its autonomous institute, NIESBUD implemented a project for strengthening the entrepreneurship  ecosystem  of  different  marginalized  sections  of  the  society  and  women under the Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP) Scheme since December 2022. The scheme aimed at creating, fostering and promoting the spirit  of  entrepreneurship  among  the  various  target  groups  through  Capacity  Building, Incubation Support, Mentoring and Handholding. SANKALP has been implemented in three phases.  Under  SANKALP  1,  a  total  of  23,825  beneficiaries  have  been  trained  during Financial Years 2022-23 to 2024-25, out of which 13,861 are women. Under SANKALP 2, a total of 23,841 beneficiaries have been trained during Financial Year 2022-23 to 2024-25, out of  which  18,270  are  women.  Under  SANKALP 3,  a  total  of  4274  beneficiaries  have  been trained during Financial Year 2024-25 (till January 2025), out of which 2,970 are women.
2. Skill Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement (STRIVE) Under the Skill Strengthening  for  Industrial  Value  Enhancement  (STRIVE)  of  MSDE,  NIESBUD  has conducted  awareness  and  sensitization  programmes  at  National  Skill  Training  Institutes (NSTIs) and Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) between October 2023 to May 2024. These activities  were  followed  by  the  selection  of  prospective  entrepreneurs  to  undergo  the Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP). The Institute has successfully conducted EDP training  for  the  target  groups  and  is  providing  mentoring  and  handholding  support to help  trainees  establish  their  enterprises.  A  total  of  45,339  beneficiaries  have  been  trained under the project during Financial Years 2023-24 to 2024-25 (till January 2025), out of which 12,437 are women.
3. Pradhan  Mantri  Janjati  Adivasi  Nyaya  Maha  Abhiyan  (PM  JANMAN)  MSDE through  its  autonomous  institutes,  namely  NIESBUD  and  IIE  has  been  implementing  the skilling  and  entrepreneurship  component  of  Pradhan  Mantri  Janjati  Adivasi  Nyaya  Maha Abhiyaan (PM JANMAN) - a scheme of Ministry of Tribal Affairs for upliftment of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), since March 2024. The project is being implemented with support  of  Tribal  Cooperative  Marketing  Development  Federation  of  India  (TRIFED)  in  18 States  across  the  country  under  which  a  total  of  500  VDVKs  are  to  be  set  up.  A  total  of 39,576 beneficiaries have been trained under the project till date, out of which 32,961 are women.
4. Rashtriya Udyamita Vikas Pariyojana on Pilot Basis for PM SVANidhi Beneficiaries  MSDE,  in  collaboration  with  the  Ministry  of  Housing  and  Urban  Affairs (MoHUA),  launched  the  Rashtriya  Udyamita  Vikas  Pariyojana  (RUVP)  on  a  pilot  basis  in February 2024 for PM SVANidhi beneficiaries, with NIESBUD and IIE as the implementing partners.  Under  the  mentoring  program,  field  visit  to  business  houses,  traditional  farming/ food processing/  handloom/ handicraft and interaction with successful entrepreneurs, bank officials,  government  departments/  agencies  were  also  made  accessible  to  the  street vendors.  Through  the  project,  entrepreneurship  training  is  to  be  provided  to  2,050  PMSVANidhi  beneficiaries  across  10  cities.  A  total  of  1744  beneficiaries  have  been  trained under the project during Financial Year 2023-24, out of which 1205 are women.
5. Entrepreneurial Climate through Training of Trainers (ToTs) and Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) in Jan Shikshan Sansthans (JSSs) NIESBUD  has  implemented  a  project  for  creating  entrepreneurial  climate  through  the Training of Trainers (ToTs) and the Entrepreneurship Development

Programme  (EDP)  in  Jan  Shikshan  Sansthans  (JSSs)  from  October  2022  to  September 2023. The project aimed at creating, fostering and promoting the spirit of entrepreneurship among various target groups through Capacity Building, Mentoring and Handholding support. A  total  of  5739  beneficiaries  have  been  trained  under  the  project  during  Financial  Years 2022-23 to 2023-24, out of which 4771 are women.

6. Pilot  Project  for  Entrepreneurship  Development  Program  (EDP)  NIESBUD implemented  a  Pilot  Project  for  Entrepreneurship  Development  Program  in  10  States supported by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, from January 2020 to March 2023, which aimed at creating, fostering and promoting the spirit of entrepreneurship among  the  target  groups  through  Entrepreneurship  Development  Programme,  Mentoring and Handholding support. A total of 5000 beneficiaries have been trained under the project during Financial Years 2019-20 to 2022-23, out of which 3089 are women.
7. Swavalambini: MSDE in collaboration with the Women Entrepreneurship Platform of NITI  Aayog,  launched  the  Swavalambini  -  a  Women  Entrepreneurship  Programme  on 07.02.2025  in  the  North  Eastern  States  of  Assam,  Meghalaya  and  Mizoram  and  on 01.03.2025  in  Uttar  Pradesh  and  Telangana.  The  Ministry  will  implement  the  programme through its autonomous institutes namely, NIESBUD and IIE.

The  Swavalambini  Project  aims  to  cultivate  an  entrepreneurial  mindset  among  female students,  equipping  them  with  awareness  of  available  support  mechanisms,  schemes, resources  and  networks  essential  for  pursuing  entrepreneurship  as  a  career.  The  target group for the Swavalambini Project includes 1200 female students from Higher Educational Institutes (HEIs) and Universities. For 600 selected students, the Entrepreneurship Development  Programme  (EDP)  offers  an  intensive  40-hour  training  covering  crucial business  aspects  such  as  training  and skilling, access  to finance,  market  linkages, compliance and legal support, business services, and networking opportunities. This will be followed by six months of mentorship and handholding support to help participants translate their  ideas  into  sustainable  prospects.  To  ensure  long-term  impact,  the  programme  also includes a Faculty Development Programme (FDP), where faculty members from participating HEIs shall undergo a five-day training session. This initiative equips educators with  the  necessary  skills  to  mentor  and  guide  aspiring  women  entrepreneurs  within  their institutions.

Furthermore, Swavalambini aims to recognise and reward successful women entrepreneurs emerging  from  the  programme  through  the Award  to Rewards  Initiative  of  Women Entrepreneurship  Platform  of  NITI  AAYOG.The  programme  will  leverage  workshops,  seed funding, and structured mentoring to support the growth of women-led enterprises.

8. Comprehensive Entrepreneurship and Skill Development Training Program for Tribal Artisans and Micro Level Entrepreneurs in NER under SANKALP scheme IIE has  implemented  Entrepreneurship  and  Skill  Development  Training  Program  for  Tribal Artisans  and  Micro  Level  Entrepreneurs  in  NER  under  SANKALP  scheme.  The  program focusses on crucial aspects of capacity building, including product diversification, technology utilization, and effective business activities, packaging and branding strategies. The program was implemented from January 2024 to October, 2024. IIE has trained 10,000 women under the program.
9. Entrepreneurship Skill Development Programme (ESDP) under Pradhan Mantri Van  Dhan  Yojana  (PMVDY): Under  the  PMVDY,  a  total  of  2083  training  programs  were conducted  across  various  districts  of  Assam,  specifically  focusing  on  empowering  tribal women. A total of 44,606 women beneficiaries have been covered under the scheme since 2019, which aimed to enhance the skills and livelihoods of tribal women by providing them with training in various traditional and modern trades. The training programs conducted by IIE included a variety of skill-building activities in trades such as handloom weaving, tailoring, candle-making,  water  hyacinth  products,  soap-making,  and  agarbatti-making  along  with entrepreneurial skills. This initiative is designed to uplift tribal women, promoting self-reliance and economic independence by strengthening their vocational capabilities.

The details of various initiatives being implemented by other Ministries/ Departments of Government of India for women entrepreneurs across country are as under:

1. Ministry  of  Textiles: Ministry  of  Textiles  is  implementing  Samarth  (Scheme  for Capacity Building in Textiles Sector) with the objective to provide demand driven, placementoriented skilling programmes to supplement the efforts of the industry in creating jobs in the organized textile  and  related  sectors, covering  the  entire  value  chain  of  textiles,  excluding Spinning and Weaving in organized sector. Samarth is implemented on demand driven basis across the country and preference is given to marginalized social groups such as women, SC/ ST etc. under the scheme. As on 03.03.2025, a total of 3,73,210 beneficiaries have been trained (passed) including 3,38,676 women.
2. Ministry  of  Minority  Affairs: The  Ministry  of  Minority  Affairs  implemented  'Nai Roshni', a Leadership Development Programme for Minority Women, which was launched in 2012-13  with  an  objective  to  empower  and  instill  confidence  among  minority  women  by providing knowledge, tools and techniques for interacting with Government systems, banks and other institutions at all levels. Since inception, about 4.35 lakh beneficiaries have been trained  under  the  scheme.  The  Training  modules  cover  areas  related  to  Programmes  for women,  Health  and  Hygiene,  Legal  rights  of  women,  Financial  Literacy,  Digital  Literacy, Swachh Bharat, Life Skills, and Advocacy for Social and Behavioural changes. The Scheme was implemented through Programme Implementing Agencies/ Non-Governmental Organizations.  Nai  Roshni  Scheme  has  now  been  converged  as  a  component  into  an integrated scheme called 'Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS)', which has following three sub-components:
- A. Leadership and Basic Entrepreneurship Development;
- B. Entrepreneurship Development;
- C. Business Mentors/Business Correspondents (Biz Sakhis/ Udyami Mitra).
3. Ministry of Science of Technology implements 'Innovation based Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Training Programme'  which  focuses on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E) training for participants and encourages  participants to take entrepreneurship as a career from all over the country, including women.

Under the scheme, Science and Technology based Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E) training  programmes are  implemented by the Institute  of higher learning, Incubators, S&T park and Non-Governmental Organization etc; for the participants including the specific programme on Women Entrepreneurship Development Programme (WEDP).

In order to foster innovations among the Women led startups in the technology sector in the country,  the  Department  of  Science  and  Technology  (DST)  has  been  supporting  various activities  under  National  Initiative  for  Developing  and  Harnessing  Innovations  (NIDHI)  by providing them entrepreneurial capacity building, access to incubation facilities, mentorship, and  early-stage  funding  support.  These  initiatives  empower  and  encourage  women  to convert  their  innovative  ideas  into  successful  business  ventures.  Financial  support  is provided,  in  terms  of  early-stage  seed  funding,  through  NIDHI-Seed  Support  Program (NIDHI-SSP) to incubated startups, including women led startups.

DST has supported setting up of Technology Business Incubators in women's universities, viz. Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women (IGDTUW), Delhi and Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam (SPMVV), Tirupati for incubating primarily women led startups. DST has also supported setting up of NIDHI-Inclusive Technology Business Incubators (iTBI) to strengthen entrepreneurial inclusiveness in terms of gender, caste and geographies. Under this,  an  iTBI  has  been  setup  in  Delhi  Technological  University  (DTU),  Delhi  to  support startups preferably women led startups.

4. Department  of  Financial  Services: Stand-Up  India  (SUI)  Scheme  launched  on 05.04.2016 is ongoing till March 2025. The objective of the Scheme is to facilitate loans from Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) of value between Rs. 10 lakh and Rs. 1 crore to at

least one Scheduled Caste (SC) or Scheduled Tribe (ST) borrower and one woman borrower per  bank  branch  for  setting  up  greenfield  enterprise  in  manufacturing,  services  or  trading sector including activities allied to agriculture.

Apart  from  linking  prospective  borrowers  with  banks  for  loans,  the  online  portal  provides guidance  to  prospective  SC,  ST  and  Women  entrepreneurs  in  their  endeavour  to  set  up business  enterprises,  starting  from  training  to  filling  up  of  loan  applications  as  per  bank requirements.

Through a network of more than 8000 Hand Holding Agencies, this portal facilitates step by step  guidance  for  connecting  prospective  borrowers  to  various  agencies  with  specific expertise viz Skilling Centres, Mentorship support, Entrepreneurship Development Program Centres, District Industries Centre, together with addresses and contact number.

The  Scheme  is  being  implemented  across  the  country  and  has  facilitated  over  2.59  lakh loans to SC/ST and Women entrepreneurs across the country and a total of 2.15 lakh (83%) loans  have  been  sanctioned  to  Women  Entrepreneurs  since  inception  of  the  Scheme  till 27.01.2025.

5. Department  of  Social  Justice  and  Empowerment  (DoSJ&E): DoSJ&E  launched the Pradhan Mantri - Dakshta Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi (PMDAKSH) Yojana, a Central Sector  Scheme,  in  the  financial  year  2020-21,  for  providing  skill  training  to  marginalized persons belonging to SCs, OBCs, EWSs, DNTs, Safai Karamcharis including waste pickers having  age  from  18  to  45  years  through  empanelled  training  institutes  in  all  job  roles exhibiting on SIDH Portal and covered under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana(PMKVY).  The  Scheme  is  being  implemented  for  both  men  and  women  from  the target group. The main objective of PM-DAKSH Yojana is to enhance skills of target groups and  makes  them  employable  either  in  wage-employment  or  self-employment.  Under  the Scheme, there is Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) designed for the youth of the target group having entrepreneurial bent of mind.
6. Ministry  of  Tribal  Affairs  (MoTA)  The  Ministry  of  Tribal  Affairs  through  its  two agencies, namely, Tribal Co-operative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED)  and  National  Scheduled  Tribes  Finance  &  Development  Corporation  (NSTFDC) have contributed significantly in promoting economic activities being undertaken by the tribal communities and have impacted in turn their economic development. NSTFDC  is implementing Adivasi Mahila Sashaktikaran Yojana (AMSY) which is an exclusive scheme for economic development of Scheduled Tribes Women. Under the scheme, NSTFDC provides loan up to 90% for projects costing up to ₹2.00 lakh at highly concessional rate of interest of 4% per annum.
7. Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs), funded by MoRD and led by banks, provide skill and entrepreneurship training to rural youth, including women, to promote self-employment and reduce poverty. The program targets  unemployed  youth  aged  18-45  with  basic  knowledge  in  relevant  fields,  equipping them for self-employment or wage employment. While many graduates pursue entrepreneurship, some may also seek for wage employment.

MoRD finances the construction of RSETI buildings and covers training costs for the rural poor.  Free  skill  based  residential  training  programs  are  being  conducted  at  605  RSETIs across  the  country.  These  RSETIs  impart  training  in  64  MoRD  and  National  Council  for Vocational  Education  and  Training  (NCVET)  approved  courses,  free  of  cost,  to  the  rural unemployed youth. Nearly 70 % of the total trainees in RSETIs comprise of rural women. There  are  nine  exclusive  women  centric  training  programmes  in  RSETIs  through  which women can  develop  skill  and  entrepreneurship.  Skill  development  program  through  Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs) also enables a trainee to take Bank credit and start  his/her  own  Micro-enterprise.  Some  of  such  trainees  may  also  seek  regular  salaried jobs.

8. Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  Development  Government  of  India  implements 'Mission Shakti' - an integrated women empowerment programme as an umbrella scheme for  safety,  security  and  empowerment  of  women.  The  umbrella  Scheme  of  Mission  Shakti has two sub-schemes namely "Sambal" and "Samarthya'.

'Samarthya'  sub-scheme,  has  a  component  i.e.  Hub  for  Empowerment  of  Women  (HEW) known  as SANKALP:  HEW  (Supportive  Action for Nurturing and  Knowledge-Based Advancement, Last-Mile Delivery and Potential Realization of Women : Hub for Empowerment of Women), set up at National, State and District levels for empowerment of women with the aim to facilitate inter-sectoral convergence of schemes and programs meant for  women  at  Central,  State/  UT  and  district  levels  and  with  the  mandate  to  create  an environment  in  which  women  realize  their  full potential  to  address  gaps  in  state  action  for women and for promoting inter-ministerial and inter-sectoral convergence through strengthening  the  processes  that  promote  holistic  empowerment of women  by  creating  an environment conducive to social change by improving access and utilization of government schemes.

The  support  under  the  HEW  is  for  guiding,  linking  and  hand  holding  women  to  various institutional  and  schematic  set  ups  for  their  empowerment  and  development  including facilitating  access  to  healthcare,  quality  education,  career  and  vocational  counselling/ training,  financial  inclusion,  entrepreneurship,  backward  and  forward  linkages,  health  and safety for workers, social security and digital literacy at districts/ Blocks/ Gram Panchayats  level  across  the  country.'  SANKALP:  HEW  is  being  implemented  in  all States/UTs except the State of West Bengal and is functional in 35 States/UTs.

9. Department for  Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) -The Government launched the Startup India initiative on 16th January 2016 with an intent to build a  strong  ecosystem  for  nurturing  innovation,  startups  and  encouraging  investments  in  the startup ecosystem of the country. As on 31st December 2024, 1,57,706 entities have been recognized as startups by DPIIT. From the recognized startups, a total of 75,935 entities selfreported to have at least one-woman director/ partner.

Further, the  Government is implementing  specific initiatives/programmes  under  the  Startup India initiative  to  promote women entrepreneurship across the country. The details of such initiatives are as under:

- i. To promote flow of both equity and debt to women led startups, 10% of the fund in the Fund of Funds for Startups Scheme operated by Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) is reserved for women-led startups.
- ii. Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) led by women are eligible to be considered for a higher level of management fee (0.1% per annum). The same benefit is also extended to AIFs which are focused on women led startups.
- iii. Under Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS), for availing the guarantee cover, the Member  Institution pays Annual  Guarantee  Fee  (AGF)  of  2%  p.a.  of the disbursement/outstanding  amount.  For  units  from  the  North  East  region  as  well  as those of women entrepreneurs, the  Member Institution pays a standard rate of 1.5% p.a. of the disbursement/outstanding amount.
- iv. Women Capacity Development Programme (WING) is a unique Capacity Development Program for women-led startups, to identify and support both aspiring and established women entrepreneurs in their startup journeys. The workshops are open to variety of business  sectors  including  Tech,  Construction,  Product,  Machine,  Food,  Agriculture, Education, etc. The workshops serve as a platform for emerging women entrepreneurs and  other  stakeholders  to  discuss  the  key  challenges  facing  women  entrepreneurs. WING  workshops  create  a  conducive  environment  to  share  best  practices  and experiences in overcoming challenges and to gain insights learned from the business models adopted in the Indian context.
- v. A  Virtual  Incubation  Program  for  Women  Entrepreneurs  was  conducted  to  support women-led tech startups with pro-bono acceleration support.
- vi. Startup India Hub: A webpage dedicated to women entrepreneurs has been designed on  the  Startup  India  portal.  The  page  includes  various  policy  measures  for  women entrepreneurs by both Central and State Governments.
- vii. ASCEND  Startup  Workshop  Series and Women  for  Startups  Workshops: The Government organized a series of startup workshops - ASCEND (Accelerating Startup Calibre  &  Entrepreneurial  Drive),  for  the  entrepreneurs,  aspiring  entrepreneurs,  and students  from North-eastern  region.  In  addition,  the  workshops  are  conducted  with  a specific focus on women entrepreneurs across the northeastern states. The workshops have  witnessed  participation from  ecosystem  stakeholders  such  as  government officials, startups, aspiring entrepreneurs, investors, academic institutions, etc.
- viii. SuperStree  Podcast:  With  a  vision  to  inspire  a  greater  number  of  women  across  all regions  in  India  to  become  entrepreneurs,  the  SuperStree  video  podcast  series  has been  launched  on  women  in  the  Indian  Startup  Ecosystem.  The  podcast  spreads awareness  related  to  innovations  from  women  and  to  further  strengthen  women entrepreneurship in the country.
- ix. Through various awareness programmes and capacity building programmes organized by the Government,  and  through  print media  and  social media  platforms, the Government also creates awareness about the existing schemes which support micro, small and medium entrepreneurs, including women entrepreneurs.
- x. Women For Startups:  State  Workshops  for Women  Entrepreneurs  were  held  across States  to  build  the  capacity  of  aspiring  and  existing  women  entrepreneurs.  The workshops  focused  on  government  scheme  awareness,  mock  pitching,  and  financerelated training.
- xi. The States' Startup Ranking on support to startup ecosystems is primarily an exercise to identify good practices across all the Indian states. The evaluation includes a specific provision to  gauge  the formulation and  implementation  of policies and  special incentives to promote women-led startups in each state. The particular action point has witnessed  active  engagement  and  thereon  reporting  of  measures  undertaken  by participating States and UTs.
- xii. To  identify  the  depth,  quality  and  spread  of  innovation,  inclusivity  and  diversity,  and entrepreneurship  in  country,  the  Government  instituted  the  National  Startup  Awards (NSA). NSA  recognizes  and  promotes  startups across 20  sectors  and special categories. All four editions of the NSA (2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023) have featured a special category and award for women-led startups.
- xiii. Pitch  Forward  is  an  initiative  to  provide  women  entrepreneurs,  especially  from  nonmetros, a platform to connect with marquee investors. It offers startups across various stages and sectors the opportunity to pitch directly to venture capital funds.

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