Lok Sabha Question No. 1157 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-03
Subject: Participation of Women in Tech Startups
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Dr. Nishikant Dubey

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT FOR PROMOTION OF INDUSTRY AND INTERNAL TRADE

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1157.

TO BE ANSWERED ON TUESDAY, THE 03 RD  DECEMBER, 2024.

## PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN TECH STARTUPS

## 1157.  DR. NISHIKANT DUBEY:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY be pleased to state:

## वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्री

- (a) whether  the  data  on  participation  of  women  involved  in  tech  startups  is maintained during the last three years and the current year, if so, the details thereof, State-wise/year-wise/district-wise, particularly in Jharkhand; and
- (b) the details of the steps taken to promote and support women participation in startups  including  the  allocation  of  funds  during  the  last  three  years  in  the country, State-wise/year-wise/district-wise, particularly in Jharkhand?

## ANSWER

## वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्रालय में राज्य मंत्री ( श्री णिणिन प्रसाद ) THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (SHRI JITIN PRASADA)

- (a): The Government maintains data with respect to entities recognised as startups by  the  Department  for  Promotion  of  Industry  and  Internal  Trade  (DPIIT), including entities recognised as startups with at least one-woman director.

As per eligibility conditions prescribed under G.S.R. notification 127 (E) dated 19th  February  2019,  entities  are  recognized  as  'startups'  under  the  Startup India initiative by DPIIT. As on 31st October 2024, a total of 1,52,139 entities have  been  recognised  as  startups.  Of  these,  14,353  entities  have  been recognised as startups in technology sectors with at least one-woman director during the last three years and the current year viz. 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 as on 31 st  October 2024.

The State/Union Territory (UT)-wise number of entities recognised as startups in  technology sectors with at least one-woman director during the last three years and the current year viz. 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 as on 31 st  October 2024 is placed as Annexure-I .

Particularly with respect to the State of Jharkhand, the district-wise number of entities recognised as startups in technology sectors with at least one-woman director during the last three years and the current year viz. 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 as on 31 st  October 2024 is placed as Annexure-II .

- (b): The  Government  is  implementing  various  programs  to  promote  women entrepreneurship and support women participation in startups under the Startup

India  initiative.  The  details  of  such  Government  initiatives  are  placed  as Annexure-III.

Under  the  Startup  India  initiative,  the  Government  is  implementing  three flagship Schemes, namely, Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS), Startup India Seed  Fund  Scheme  (SISFS)  and  Credit  Guarantee  Scheme  for  Startups (CGSS) to support startups across categories and sectors at various stages of their business cycle.

FFS  has  been  established  to  catalyze  venture  capital  investments  and  is operationalized by Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), which provides capital to Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)-registered Alternative  Investment  Funds  (AIFs)  which  in  turn  invest  in  startups.  AIFs supported under FFS are required  to  invest  at  least  2  times  of  the  amount committed  under  FFS  in  startups.  AIFs  have  invested  Rs.  1,542  crore  in women-led  startups  in  the  last  three  years  viz.  2021,  2022  and  2023.  The State/UT-wise list of amount of investments in women-led startups by selected AIFs in the last three years is placed as Annexure-IV.

SISFS provides financial assistance to seed stage startups through incubators. SISFS  is  implemented  from  1st  April  2021.  Incubators  selected  under  the Scheme have approved funds of Rs. 155.6 crore to women-led startups in the last  three  years  viz.  2021,  2022,  and  2023.  The  State/UT-wise  list  of  funds approved to women-led startups by selected incubators in the last three years is placed as Annexure-V . CGSS is implemented for  enabling  collateral  free  loans  to  startups  through eligible financial institutions [Member Institutes (MIs)]. CGSS is operationalized by the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company (NCGTC) Limited and has been  operationalized  from  1st  April  2023.  As  on  31 st   October  2024,  loans amounting  to  Rs  13.6  crore  have  been  guaranteed  to  women-led  startup borrowers under CGSS in the last year viz. 2023. The State/UT-wise list of the amount of loans guaranteed to women-led startup borrowers in the year 2023

is placed as Annexure-VI.

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ANNEXURE-I ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1157 FOR ANSWER ON 03.12.2024. State/UT-wise number of entities recognised as startups in technology sectors by DPIIT with at least one-woman director during the last three years and the current year viz. 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 as on 31 st  October 2024 is given below:

| State/UT                                 | 2021   | 2022   | 2023   | 2024 (as on 31 st October 2024)   |
|------------------------------------------|--------|--------|--------|-----------------------------------|
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands              | 2      | 1      | 0      | 0                                 |
| Andhra Pradesh                           | 42     | 51     | 88     | 70                                |
| Arunachal Pradesh                        | 0      | 1      | 3      | 1                                 |
| Assam                                    | 22     | 26     | 26     | 26                                |
| Bihar                                    | 43     | 41     | 75     | 62                                |
| Chandigarh                               | 13     | 10     | 14     | 16                                |
| Chhattisgarh                             | 18     | 26     | 29     | 39                                |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | 1      | 2      | 1      | 2                                 |
| Delhi                                    | 337    | 295    | 376    | 241                               |
| Goa                                      | 8      | 8      | 11     | 12                                |
| Gujarat                                  | 204    | 242    | 307    | 245                               |
| Haryana                                  | 163    | 175    | 223    | 182                               |
| Himachal Pradesh                         | 8      | 14     | 11     | 12                                |
| Jammu and Kashmir                        | 6      | 13     | 15     | 18                                |
| Jharkhand                                | 20     | 28     | 40     | 22                                |
| Karnataka                                | 411    | 448    | 493    | 443                               |
| Kerala                                   | 148    | 160    | 167    | 128                               |
| Lakshadweep                              | 0      | 0      | 0      | 0                                 |
| Madhya Pradesh                           | 72     | 106    | 159    | 111                               |
| Maharashtra                              | 567    | 629    | 659    | 558                               |
| Manipur                                  | 3      | 4      | 0      | 1                                 |
| Meghalaya                                | 2      | 0      | 2      | 2                                 |
| Mizoram                                  | 0      | 1      | 1      | 1                                 |
| Nagaland                                 | 1      | 1      | 1      | 1                                 |
| Odisha                                   | 56     | 55     | 98     | 48                                |
| Puducherry                               | 1      | 5      | 8      | 4                                 |
| Punjab                                   | 30     | 39     | 61     | 37                                |
| Rajasthan                                | 77     | 109    | 188    | 135                               |
| Sikkim                                   | 0      | 1      | 0      | 0                                 |
| Tamil Nadu                               | 219    | 322    | 417    | 315                               |
| Telangana                                | 200    | 233    | 317    | 248                               |
| Tripura                                  | 1      | 3      | 3      | 3                                 |
| Uttar Pradesh                            | 280    | 307    | 400    | 346                               |
| Uttarakhand                              | 8      | 27     | 33     | 15                                |
| West Bengal                              | 93     | 119    | 127    | 98                                |
| Total                                    | 3,056  | 3,502  | 4,353  | 3,442                             |

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ANNEXURE-II ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1157 FOR ANSWER ON 03.12.2024. District-wise number of entities recognised as startups in technology sectors by DPIIT with at least one-woman director for the State of Jharkhand during the last three years and the current year viz. 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 as on 31 st  October

2024 is given below:

| District            |   2021 |   2022 |   2023 |   2024 (as on 31 st October 2024) |
|---------------------|--------|--------|--------|-----------------------------------|
| Bokaro              |      1 |      4 |      4 |                                 1 |
| Deoghar             |      0 |      3 |      4 |                                 0 |
| Dhanbad             |      1 |      6 |      7 |                                 2 |
| Dumka               |      1 |      0 |      0 |                                 0 |
| East Singhbhum      |      1 |      4 |      5 |                                 4 |
| Garhwa              |      1 |      0 |      0 |                                 1 |
| Giridih             |      1 |      0 |      0 |                                 0 |
| Gumla               |      0 |      0 |      1 |                                 0 |
| Hazaribagh          |      1 |      0 |      0 |                                 0 |
| Jamtara             |      1 |      0 |      0 |                                 0 |
| Khunti              |      0 |      0 |      0 |                                 1 |
| Palamu              |      1 |      0 |      1 |                                 0 |
| Ramgarh             |      0 |      0 |      1 |                                 0 |
| Ranchi              |     11 |      8 |     14 |                                12 |
| Saraikela Kharsawan |      0 |      1 |      2 |                                 0 |
| Simdega             |      0 |      0 |      0 |                                 1 |
| West Singhbhum      |      0 |      2 |      1 |                                 0 |
| Total               |     20 |     28 |     40 |                                22 |

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## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (b)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1157 FOR ANSWER ON 03.12.2024.

Programs  Implemented  to  promote  Women  Entrepreneurship  across  the country, including the State of Jharkhand:

1.  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.
2.  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.
3.  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.
4.  A  Virtual  Incubation  Program  for  Women  Entrepreneurs  was  conducted  in collaboration with Zone Startups to support women-led tech startups with pro-bono acceleration support.
5.  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.
6.  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.
7.  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.
8.  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.
9.  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 finance-related training.
10.  President's Interaction with Women Entrepreneurs: On 18th January 2024, as part of the 'The President with the People' initiative, 25 women entrepreneurs had the opportunity  to  interact  with  the  Hon'ble  President  of  India.  The  interaction highlighted the role of women-led startups in driving innovation, creating jobs, and contributing to India's growing startup ecosystem. The  Hon'ble President acknowledged  their  efforts  in  turning  ideas  into  ventures  and  emphasized  the importance of their success in inspiring future generations.
11.  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.
12.  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.

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ANNEXURE-IV ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (b)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1157 FOR ANSWER ON 03.12.2024. State/UT-wise details of investments made by selected AIFs under FFS to womenled startups, in the last three years viz. 2021, 2022 and 2023 are as under:

| State/UT       | 2021   | 2022   | 2023   |
|----------------|--------|--------|--------|
| Karnataka      | 41.25  | 83.86  | 39.11  |
| Maharashtra    | 149.77 | 180.6  | 42     |
| Delhi          | 226.22 | 66.35  | 9.8    |
| Gujarat        | 186.11 | 28     | 19.6   |
| Haryana        | 25.2   | 126.67 | 19.58  |
| Tamil Nadu     | 30.1   | 107.07 | 8      |
| Kerala         | 90     | -      | -      |
| Telangana      | -      | -      | 7.5    |
| Uttar Pradesh  | -      | 14.88  | -      |
| Rajasthan      | -      | 30.82  | -      |
| Punjab         | -      | -      | -      |
| Assam          | 3      | 0.5    | -      |
| Manipur        | 3      | 0.5    | -      |
| Madhya Pradesh | -      | 1.65   | -      |
| Nagaland       | -      | -      | 0.65   |
| Meghalaya      | -      | 0.35   | -      |
| Total          | 754.6  | 641.2  | 146.2  |

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## ANNEXURE-V

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (b)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1157 FOR ANSWER ON 03.12.2024.

State/UT-wise  details  of  funds  approved  to  women-led  startups  by  selected incubators under SISFS in the last three years viz. 2021, 2022, and 2023:

| State/UT                    | 2021   | 2022   | 2023   |
|-----------------------------|--------|--------|--------|
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | -      |        | 0.04   |
| Andhra Pradesh              | -      | 0.65   | 2.95   |
| Arunachal Pradesh           | -      | 0.2    | -      |
| Assam                       | 0.2    | 0.5    | 0.8    |
| Bihar                       | -      | 0.6    | 3.03   |
| Chandigarh                  | -      | 0.15   | 0.65   |
| Chhattisgarh                | -      | 0.12   | 0.44   |
| Delhi                       | 0.99   | 1.91   | 7.58   |
| Goa                         | 0.55   | 0.15   | 0.2    |
| Gujarat                     | 0.9    | 3.54   | 7.12   |
| Haryana                     | 0.15   | 1.47   | 4.23   |
| Himachal Pradesh            | -      | 0.1    | 0.95   |
| Jammu and Kashmir           | -      | -      | 0.3    |
| Jharkhand                   | 0.4*   | -      | 0.25** |
| Karnataka                   | 2.22   | 11.99  | 12.14  |
| Kerala                      | 0.5    | 1.95   | 0.94   |
| Madhya Pradesh              | 0.5    | 3.32   | 1.89   |
| Maharashtra                 | 2.1    | 8.93   | 18.52  |
| Meghalaya                   | -      | 0.2    | -      |
| Mizoram                     | -      | -      | 0.25   |
| Nagaland                    | -      | 0.25   | 0.3    |
| Odisha                      | 0.1    | 1.07   | 2.22   |
| Puducherry                  | -      | 0.16   | 0.2    |
| Punjab                      | -      | 0.1    | 1.07   |
| Rajasthan                   | 0.21   | 2.05   | 3.29   |
| Sikkim                      | -      | 0.05   | -      |
| Tamil Nadu                  | 1.93   | 3.56   | 6.2    |
| Telangana                   | 1.15   | 6.17   | 5.7    |
| Uttar Pradesh               | 1.57   | 2.42   | 6.23   |
| Uttarakhand                 | -      | 0.85   | 0.65   |
| West Bengal                 | -      | 0.71   | 0.85   |
| Total                       | 13.47  | 53.17  | 88.99  |

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ANNEXURE-VI ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (b)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1157 FOR ANSWER ON 03.12.2024. The State/UT-wise details of amount of loans guaranteed (in Rs. crore) to womenled startup borrowers under CGSS in the last year viz. 2023 are as under:

| State/UT   |   Amount of loans guaranteed in 2023 |
|------------|--------------------------------------|
| Haryana    |                                 7.15 |
| Karnataka  |                                 5    |
| Kerala     |                                 0.5  |
| Tamil Nadu |                                 0.65 |
| Telangana  |                                 0.3  |
| Total      |                                13.6  |

## **********