Lok Sabha Question No. 1347 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-03
Subject: Women-led Startups in India
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Smt. Kanimozhi Karunanidhi

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1347. TO BE ANSWERED ON TUESDAY, THE 03 RD  DECEMBER, 2024.

## WOMEN-LED STARTUPS IN INDIA

## 1347.  SMT. KANIMOZHI KARUNANIDHI:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY be pleased to state: वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्री

- (a) the  details  of  number  of  women-led  startups  and  the  sectors  these  startups engaged  in  registered  with  the  Department  for  Promotion  of  Industry  and Internal Trade (DPIIT) during the last five years State/UT-wise particularly in Tamil Nadu;
- (b) the details of women-led startups founded by individuals from SC, ST, and OBC categories, and the funding support provided to these startups, State/UT-wise particularly, Tamil Nadu;
- (c) the details of steps taken to strengthen the ecosystem for women-led startups and promote their growth and sustainability; and
- (d) whether the  Government  has assessed  the  challenges faced  by  women-led startups in accessing finance, technology, and market opportunities; if so, the details thereof and the  measures being considered to address these challenges?

## 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  with  an  intent  to  build  a  strong  ecosystem  for  nurturing innovation, startups and encouraging investments in startup ecosystem of the country launched the Startup India initiative on 16th January 2016.

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 the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal  Trade (DPIIT).  As  on  31st  October  2024,  a  total  of  1,52,139  entities  have  been recognised as startups, of which, 73,151 startups have at least one-woman director.

The  State/UT-wise  details  number  of  entities  recognised  as  startups  with at   least one-woman director, including for the State of Tamil Nadu, in the last five years, viz. 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 are placed as Annexure-I .

Industry-wise  details  of  entities  recognised  as  startups  with  at  least  onewoman director in the last five years viz. 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 are placed as Annexure-II .

- (b): 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. The data maintained under the Startup India initiative  is inclusive.

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. As on 31 st     October 2024, supported AIFs have   invested Rs 3,107.11 crore in 149 women-led startups. The State/UTwise amount of investments in women-led startups by selected AIFs is placed as Annexure-III.

SISFS provides financial assistance to seed stage startups through incubators. SISFS is implemented from 1st April 2021. As on 31st October 2024, supported incubators under the Scheme have approved funds of Rs 227.12 crore to  1,278  women-led startups. The State/UT-wise  list  of funds approved  to  women-led  startups  by  selected  incubators is placed  as Annexure-IV.

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, 18 loans amounting to Rs 24.6 crore have been guaranteed to womenled startup borrowers under CGSS. The State/UT-wise details of the same are placed as Annexure-V.

- (c) & (d): To  strengthen  the  ecosystem  for  women-led  startups,  the  Government          is implementing certain specific schemes/programmes under the Startup India initiative which are facilitating women-led  startups to access finance, technology, and  market  opportunities.  The  details  of  such  Government initiatives are 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. 1347 FOR ANSWER ON 03.12.2024.

Details  of  State/UT-wise  number  of  entities  recognised  as  startups  with  at  least  onewoman director in the last five years viz. 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 are as under:

| States/UTs                               | 2019   | 2020   | 2021   | 2022   | 2023   |
|------------------------------------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands              | 4      | 2      | 5      | 5      | 3      |
| Andhra Pradesh                           | 92     | 102    | 136    | 173    | 294    |
| Arunachal Pradesh                        | 0      | 0      | 3      | 5      | 8      |
| Assam                                    | 30     | 52     | 83     | 122    | 168    |
| Bihar                                    | 59     | 113    | 183    | 256    | 384    |
| Chandigarh                               | 21     | 27     | 38     | 36     | 64     |
| Chhattisgarh                             | 69     | 54     | 82     | 91     | 148    |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | 1      | 3      | 4      | 7      | 6      |
| Delhi                                    | 671    | 835    | 1,197  | 1,282  | 1,610  |
| Goa                                      | 22     | 27     | 40     | 49     | 40     |
| Gujarat                                  | 313    | 364    | 799    | 942    | 1,432  |
| Haryana                                  | 359    | 373    | 531    | 675    | 893    |
| Himachal Pradesh                         | 14     | 12     | 23     | 56     | 65     |
| Jammu and Kashmir                        | 12     | 23     | 40     | 71     | 82     |
| Jharkhand                                | 37     | 85     | 88     | 108    | 172    |
| Karnataka                                | 806    | 753    | 1,063  | 1,243  | 1,502  |
| Kerala                                   | 267    | 248    | 397    | 431    | 533    |
| Ladakh                                   | 0      | 1      | 0      | 1      | 3      |
| Lakshadweep                              | 0      | 1      | 0      | 0      | 0      |
| Madhya Pradesh                           | 150    | 173    | 263    | 420    | 623    |
| Maharashtra                              | 1,110  | 1,302  | 1,938  | 2,412  | 2,916  |
| Manipur                                  | 1      | 5      | 21     | 13     | 7      |
| Meghalaya                                | 5      | 0      | 5      | 5      | 6      |
| Mizoram                                  | 0      | 1      | 1      | 3      | 6      |
| Nagaland                                 | 1      | 3      | 5      | 3      | 12     |
| Odisha                                   | 90     | 125    | 196    | 230    | 329    |
| Puducherry                               | 6      | 3      | 7      | 12     | 21     |
| Punjab                                   | 54     | 72     | 125    | 147    | 226    |
| Rajasthan                                | 190    | 205    | 301    | 459    | 690    |
| Sikkim                                   | 0      | 1      | 0      | 2      | 1      |
| Tamil Nadu                               | 317    | 379    | 592    | 920    | 1,334  |
| Telangana                                | 306    | 391    | 520    | 721    | 917    |
| Tripura                                  | 4      | 10     | 4      | 13     | 8      |
| Uttar Pradesh                            | 449    | 663    | 1,065  | 1,304  | 1,784  |
| Uttarakhand                              | 57     | 53     | 77     | 121    | 125    |
| West Bengal                              | 158    | 198    | 360    | 528    | 621    |
| Grand Total                              | 5,675  | 6,659  | 10,192 | 12,866 | 17,033 |

********

## ANNEXURE-II ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1347 FOR ANSWER ON 03.12.2024.

Details  for  industry-wise  number  of  entities  recognised  as  startups  with  at  least  onewoman director in the past five years viz. 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 are as under:

| Industry                            |   2019 |   2020 |   2021 |   2022 |   2023 |
|-------------------------------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
| Advertising                         |     46 |     43 |     57 |     54 |    143 |
| Aeronautics Aerospace & Defence     |     39 |     46 |     86 |    139 |    174 |
| Agriculture                         |    233 |    300 |    536 |    723 |   1103 |
| AI                                  |    153 |    129 |    152 |    147 |    234 |
| Airport Operations                  |      0 |      1 |      4 |      2 |      7 |
| Analytics                           |     55 |     49 |     83 |     64 |     79 |
| Animation                           |      7 |      4 |      6 |     14 |     17 |
| AR VR (Augmented + Virtual Reality) |     37 |     24 |     34 |     47 |     43 |
| Architecture Interior Design        |     42 |     53 |     58 |     82 |    122 |
| Art & Photography                   |     22 |     25 |     33 |     48 |     78 |
| Automotive                          |     81 |     96 |    199 |    302 |    374 |
| Biotechnology                       |      0 |      4 |     55 |     63 |     88 |
| Chemicals                           |     34 |     56 |    129 |    144 |    202 |
| Computer Vision                     |     18 |     20 |     22 |     16 |     23 |
| Construction                        |    164 |    256 |    412 |    631 |   1011 |
| Dating Matrimonial                  |      8 |      5 |      3 |     12 |      6 |
| Design                              |     50 |     50 |     53 |     64 |     91 |
| Education                           |    382 |    443 |    672 |    866 |    935 |
| Enterprise Software                 |    133 |    102 |    130 |    173 |    254 |
| Events                              |     22 |     31 |     39 |     41 |     77 |
| Fashion                             |     86 |     99 |    149 |    221 |    418 |
| Finance Technology                  |    203 |    185 |    273 |    359 |    464 |
| Food & Beverages                    |    287 |    326 |    549 |    754 |   1085 |
| Green Technology                    |    187 |    162 |    175 |    238 |    334 |
| Healthcare & Lifesciences           |    573 |    684 |   1018 |   1388 |   1762 |
| House-Hold Services                 |     41 |     46 |     57 |     86 |    156 |
| Human Resources                     |    116 |    156 |    209 |    372 |    467 |
| Indic Language Startups             |      0 |      7 |     32 |     44 |     72 |
| Internet of Things                  |    135 |     99 |    118 |    108 |    108 |
| IT Services                         |    810 |    882 |   1087 |   1357 |   1802 |
| Logistics                           |      0 |      6 |     75 |     75 |    118 |
| Marketing                           |    128 |    187 |    179 |    218 |    306 |
| Media & Entertainment               |    106 |     99 |    130 |    168 |    245 |
| Nanotechnology                      |     14 |     10 |     12 |     21 |     19 |
| Non- Renewable Energy               |     19 |    190 |    349 |    151 |    157 |
| Other Specialty Retailers           |     39 |     63 |     51 |     74 |    158 |
| Others                              |      0 |     28 |    493 |    589 |    112 |
| Passenger Experience                |      0 |      0 |      1 |      1 |      3 |
| Pets & Animals                      |     16 |     16 |     28 |     47 |     61 |

| Professional & Commercial Services   | 257   | 399   | 633    | 617    | 877    |
|--------------------------------------|-------|-------|--------|--------|--------|
| Real Estate                          | 49    | 42    | 52     | 116    | 172    |
| Renewable Energy                     | 154   | 161   | 242    | 297    | 449    |
| Retail                               | 145   | 181   | 190    | 291    | 348    |
| Robotics                             | 39    | 25    | 37     | 44     | 61     |
| Safety                               | 18    | 28    | 43     | 43     | 40     |
| Security Solutions                   | 55    | 76    | 123    | 138    | 181    |
| Social Impact                        | 49    | 41    | 83     | 80     | 113    |
| Social Network                       | 67    | 31    | 58     | 57     | 58     |
| Sports                               | 26    | 45    | 35     | 61     | 67     |
| Technology Hardware                  | 168   | 245   | 296    | 354    | 541    |
| Telecommunication & Networking       | 58    | 85    | 90     | 108    | 151    |
| Textiles & Apparel                   | 79    | 109   | 184    | 253    | 356    |
| Toys and Games                       | 0     | 1     | 40     | 52     | 75     |
| Transportation & Storage             | 105   | 120   | 120    | 135    | 182    |
| Travel & Tourism                     | 119   | 81    | 119    | 158    | 276    |
| Waste Management                     | 1     | 7     | 99     | 159    | 178    |
| Grand Total                          | 5,675 | 6,659 | 10,192 | 12,866 | 17,033 |

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ANNEXURE-III ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (b)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1347 FOR ANSWER ON 03.12.2024. State/UT-wise details of investments made by selected AIFs under FFS to startups led by women, including for the State of Tamil Nadu, as on 31 st  October 2024 are as under:

| State/UT       |   Number of women-led startups | Amount of Investments by selected AIFs (in Rs crore)   |
|----------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|
| Karnataka      |                             40 | 1,051.38                                               |
| Maharashtra    |                             37 | 731.02                                                 |
| Delhi          |                             29 | 446.48                                                 |
| Gujarat        |                             11 | 227.31                                                 |
| Haryana        |                              7 | 171.10                                                 |
| Tamil Nadu     |                              5 | 32.34                                                  |
| Kerala         |                              4 | 233.71                                                 |
| Telangana      |                              3 | 5.23                                                   |
| Uttar Pradesh  |                              3 | 54.09                                                  |
| Rajasthan      |                              2 | 90.50                                                  |
| Punjab         |                              2 | 3.50                                                   |
| Assam          |                              2 | 0.65                                                   |
| Manipur        |                              1 | 1.65                                                   |
| Madhya Pradesh |                              1 | 0.35                                                   |
| Nagaland       |                              1 | 26.98                                                  |
| Meghalaya      |                              1 | 30.82                                                  |
| Total          |                            149 | 3,107.11                                               |

*********

## ANNEXURE-IV

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (b)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1347 FOR ANSWER ON 03.12.2024.

The State/UT-wise details of funding support provided to women-led startups by selected incubators under SISFS, including for the State of Tamil Nadu, as on 31 st  October 2024 are as under:

| State/UT                    | No. of women-led startups selected   |   Funds Approved by selected incubators (in Rs. Crore) |
|-----------------------------|--------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|
| Maharashtra                 | 244                                  |                                                  43.17 |
| Karnataka                   | 175                                  |                                                  35.71 |
| Tamil Nadu                  | 128                                  |                                                  21.86 |
| Uttar Pradesh               | 98                                   |                                                  17.64 |
| Delhi                       | 90                                   |                                                  16.82 |
| Gujarat                     | 86                                   |                                                  15.48 |
| Telangana                   | 75                                   |                                                  16.38 |
| Haryana                     | 60                                   |                                                   9.13 |
| Madhya Pradesh              | 54                                   |                                                   7.78 |
| Rajasthan                   | 44                                   |                                                   7.56 |
| Odisha                      | 34                                   |                                                   4.25 |
| Bihar                       | 21                                   |                                                   3.93 |
| Kerala                      | 21                                   |                                                   4.22 |
| Andhra Pradesh              | 20                                   |                                                   4.53 |
| West Bengal                 | 19                                   |                                                   2.81 |
| Punjab                      | 19                                   |                                                   2.42 |
| Assam                       | 16                                   |                                                   1.63 |
| Himachal Pradesh            | 11                                   |                                                   1.44 |
| Nagaland                    | 11                                   |                                                   2.08 |
| Goa                         | 9                                    |                                                   1.2  |
| Uttarakhand                 | 7                                    |                                                   1.5  |
| Jammu and Kashmir           | 7                                    |                                                   1.55 |
| Jharkhand                   | 7                                    |                                                   1.35 |
| Chhattisgarh                | 7                                    |                                                   0.76 |
| Chandigarh                  | 6                                    |                                                   0.8  |
| Meghalaya                   | 2                                    |                                                   0.24 |
| Puducherry                  | 2                                    |                                                   0.36 |
| Mizoram                     | 2                                    |                                                   0.25 |
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 1                                    |                                                   0.04 |
| Arunachal Pradesh           | 1                                    |                                                   0.2  |
| Sikkim                      | 1                                    |                                                   0.05 |
| Grand Total                 | 1,278                                |                                                 227.12 |

*********

## ANNEXURE-V

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (b)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1347 FOR ANSWER ON 03.12.2024.

The State/UT-wise details of amount of loans guaranteed to women-led startup borrowers under CGSS, including for the State of Tamil Nadu, as on 31 st  October 2024 are as under:

| State/UT    |   Number of loans guaranteed |   Total Amount of loans guaranteed (in Rs. crore) |
|-------------|------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|
| Bihar       |                            1 |                                              0.28 |
| Delhi       |                            3 |                                              4.7  |
| Haryana     |                            4 |                                             11.64 |
| Karnataka   |                            3 |                                              5.38 |
| Kerala      |                            1 |                                              0.5  |
| Maharashtra |                            1 |                                              0.65 |
| Rajasthan   |                            1 |                                              0.5  |
| Tamil Nadu  |                            3 |                                              0.65 |
| Telangana   |                            1 |                                              0.3  |
| Total       |                           18 |                                             24.6  |

**********

## ANNEXURE-VI

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (c) & (d) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1347 FOR ANSWER ON 03.12.2024.

## Programs Implemented to strengthen the ecosystem for women-led startups and ensure their sustainability:

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%  p.a.).  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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