Lok Sabha Question No. 5949 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-30
Subject: Skill Training for Women and SC/ST Entrepreneurs
Ministry: SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Asked by: Dr. Mallu Ravi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5949

ANSWERED ON 30.03.2026

## SKILL TRAINING FOR WOMEN AND SC/ST ENTREPRENEURS

5949.  DR. MALLU RAVI:

Will  the  Minister  of  SKILL  DEVELOPMENT  AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  Telangana's  Women  Entrepreneurship  Platform (WEP) trained 600 women graduates in digital and workplace skills;
- (b) if so, the details of number of women and SC/ST beneficiaries trained in Nagarkurnool under the said programme;
- (c) whether any Central Schemes, specifically target entrepreneurship and self-employment in these groups are being implemented in the said State and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the details of total number of trainees who started businesses or secured employment; and
- (e) the steps proposed/to be proposed by the Government to expand the said programmes to other backward Constituencies?

## ANSWER

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

## (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

- (a) to (e) The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), in collaboration with the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) of NITI Aayog as knowledge partner, launched the  Swavalambini  -  a  Women  Entrepreneurship  Programme  in  February  2025  in  six  Higher Education  Institutions  (HEIs)/Universities  of  Assam,  Meghalaya,  Mizoram,  Uttar  Pradesh  and Telangana as a pilot project.

The  target  group  for  the  Swavalambini  Project  includes  1200  female  students  from  Higher Educational  Institutes  (HEIs)  and  Universities  who  underwent  introductory  programme  on entrepreneurial awareness through Entrepreneurship Awareness Programme (EAP). Out of these, 600 students were selected for undergoing the Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) , offering intensive entrepreneurship development training covering crucial business aspects such as skilling, access to finance, market linkages, compliance and legal support, business services and networking opportunities. This is followed by 21 weeks of mentorship and handholding support to help participants translate their ideas into sustainable enterprises. A total of 150 women were trained  under  the  EAP  in  Maulana  Azad  National  Urdu  University  (MANUU),  Hyderabad, Telangana, out of which 48 students were selected for Entrepreneurship Development Programme and out of these students, 5 set-up their enterprises.

Moreover,  the  Ministry  through  its  autonomous  organizations,  namely,  National  Institute  for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) and Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship  (IIE)  has  implemented  various  Entrepreneurship  Development  Programmes (EDPs)  and  Entrepreneurship  and  Skill  Development  Programmes  (ESDPs)  under  various schemes to promote entrepreneurship amongst all sections of the society, including women and SC/ ST beneficiaries across the country including the State of Telangana. These EDPs and ESDPs are designed to impart entrepreneurial, financial and managerial skills and to offer post-training support  through  mentorship,  handholding,  and  access  to  credit/finance,  market  linkages  and incubation facilities.

In  addition,  the  Ministry  continues  to  take  steps  to  strengthen  the  entrepreneurship ecosystem through targeted interventions, sector-specific programmes and enhanced institutional partnerships and convergence to promote entrepreneurship across the country including in the other backward Constituencies.

Further, there are various initiatives being implemented  by  NIESBUD  for  promotion  of entrepreneurship in the State of Telangana. The details of such initiatives including the number of beneficiaries who have established enterprises or accessed structured entrepreneurship support are placed at Annexure-I.

Moreover, there are various Central Schemes being implemented by Ministries/ Departments of Government of India with the objective of promoting entrepreneurs and self-employment in the country, including for the women and SC/ST beneficiaries of Telangana. The details of various such Central Schemes including the number of beneficiaries who have established enterprises are placed at Annexure-II .

## ANNEXURES REFERRED TO IN REPLY OF PART (a) to (e) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION  NO.5949 ANSWERED  ON  30.03.2026  REGARDING  'SKILL  TRAINING  FOR WOMEN AND SC/ ST ENTREPRENEURS'

The  details  of  various  entrepreneurship  development  initiatives  being  implemented  by NIESBUD for promotion of entrepreneurship in the State of Telangana, including the number of beneficiaries who have established enterprises are as under:

1. Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN) - a scheme of Ministry of  Tribal  Affairs  (MoTA)  being  implemented  since  2024,  aims  to  enhance  the  socio-economic conditions of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) by providing them with basic facilities such as safe housing, clean drinking water, improved access to education, health and nutrition, road  and  telecom  connectivity,  electrification  of  un-electrified  households  and  sustainable livelihood opportunities.

The scheme focuses on 11 critical interventions related to 9 key Ministries including Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE). The key intervention of the MSDE is facilitating skill and entrepreneurship development in Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs) in 15 States across the country under which a total of 500 VDVKs are to be operationalized by 31.03.2026.

As on 25.03.2026, a total of 38,386 beneficiaries have been trained under the Entrepreneurship Development Programme. From the total trained beneficiaries under EDP, 1461 are in the State of Telangana, out of which 996 are women. A total of 489 VDVKs have been operationalized, out of which 25 are in the State of Telangana.

2. Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana Scheme (PM SGMBY Scheme) -MSDE, in collaboration with the Ministry of New  and  Renewable  Energy (MNRE), is organizing Entrepreneurship  Development  Programme  (EDP)  on  Solar  Entrepreneurship  under  MNRE's flagship scheme PM SGMBY.

The  programme  aims  to  promote  rooftop  solar  adoption,  empower  entrepreneurs,  and  create sustainable livelihood opportunities by fostering and mentoring budding and existing entrepreneurs in  the  field  of  solar  entrepreneurship.  Between  July  2024  (inception)  and  25.03.2026,  30,928 beneficiaries have been trained in the Entrepreneurship Development Programme of the scheme, out  of  which  135  have  been  trained  in  the  State  of  Telangana.  Among  the  beneficiaries  in Telangana,  8  were  women.  21  existing  vendors  were  capacitated  and  19  new  vendors/  subvendors  were  registered/  enterprises  established  in  Green  Energy  Sector  in  the  State  of Telangana.

3. Strengthening Entrepreneurial Climate through Capacity Building, Incubation Support, Mentoring,  and  Handholding  under  SANKALP  Scheme -MSDE,  through  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 between December 2022 and March 2025. 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.  A  total  of 62825 beneficiaries have been trained under the scheme, out of which 1700 were in the State of Telangana. Out of the beneficiaries trained in Telangana, 1617 were women and 170 enterprises were established.

4. 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 were trained under the project during Financial Years  2019-20 to 2022-23, out of which 200 beneficiaries were trained in the State of Telangana. Out of the beneficiaries trained in Telangana, 198 were women and 40 established their own enterprises.

5. Skill Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement (STRIVE) Project - Under the Skill Strengthening  for  Industrial  Value  Enhancement  (STRIVE)  project  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 conducted EDP training for the target group of 32091 beneficiaries, out of which 1259 were in the State of Telangana. Out of the beneficiaries in Telangana, 145 were women.

6. Capacity Building Programme for Fair Price Shop Owners -MSDE, in collaboration with the Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD), Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, has undertaken a Capacity Building Programme for Fair Price Shop (FPS) Owners. The project is aimed at enabling the FPS owners to run their businesses in consonance with the contemporary  practices  being  adopted  by  Retail  Entrepreneurs.  As  on  25-03-2026,  315  FPS owners have been trained under this programme, out of which 26 were in the State of Telangana. A total of 91 Fair Price Shops have been converted into Jan Poshan Kendras, out of which 6 are in the State of Telangana.

## ANNEXURES REFERRED TO IN REPLY OF PART (a) to (e) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION  NO.5949 ANSWERED  ON  30.03.2026  REGARDING  'SKILL  TRAINING  FOR WOMEN AND SC/ ST ENTREPRENEURS'

The details of various Central Schemes being implemented by Ministries/ Departments of Government of India with the objective of promoting entrepreneurs and self-employment in the country, including for women and SC/ST beneficiaries of the State of Telangana are as under:

1.  Department  of  Social  Justice  and  Empowerment  (DoSJ&E) -DoSJ&E  launched  the Pradhan  Mantri -Dakshta  Aur  Kushalta  Sampann  Hitgrahi  (PM-DAKSH)  Scheme,  a  Central Sector Scheme, in the financial year 2020-21, for providing skill trainings to marginalized persons belonging to SCs , OBCs, EWSs, DNTs, Safai Karamcharis, including waste pickers aged 18 to 45 years, through the empanelled training institutes on a pan-India basis. A total of 1,198 beneficiaries have secured employment under the PM-DAKSH Scheme in the State of Telangana.

2. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) Startup India initiative was launched 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.

Under the Startup India initiative, the Government is implementing flagship Schemes such as Fund of  Funds for Startups (FFS), Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) and Credit Guarantee Scheme for  Startups  (CGSS)  to  support  startups  across  categories  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. As on 31st January 2026, supported AIFs under the Scheme have invested around Rs. 25,859 crore in selected startups. Further, from 2020 onwards, around Rs. 2,995 crore have been invested in women-led startups by AIFs under the Scheme, as on 31st January 2026.

SISFS provides  financial  assistance  to  seed  stage  startups  through  incubators.  SISFS  is implemented from 1st April 2021. As on 31st January 2026, selected incubators under the Scheme have approved funding of around Rs. 592 crore to selected startups, of which funds of around Rs. 294 crore have been approved to women-led startups.

CGSS is implemented for enabling debt funding to startups through eligible financial institutions. CGSS is operationalized by the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company (NCGTC) Limited and has been operationalized from 1 st April 2023. As on 31st January 2026, loans amounting to around Rs. 925 crore have been guaranteed to startup borrowers, of which loans amounting to around Rs. 39 crore have been guaranteed to women-led startups.

As on 31st January 2026, a total of 2,12,283 entities have been recognised as startups by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). Of the total entities recognised as startups, 1,02,054 entities have at least one-woman director/ partner , out of which 5,922 are in the State of Telangana.

3. Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (M/o MSME) Ministry of MSME, through Khadi and Village Industries Commission  (KVIC),  is implementing the  Prime Minister's Employment  Generation  Programme  (PMEGP).  It  is  a  central  sector  scheme  generating employment opportunities primarily in rural areas by assisting prospective entrepreneurs in setting up new micro enterprises in the non-farm sector across the country including State of Telangana.

PMEGP assists General Category beneficiaries with Margin Money (MM) subsidy of 25% of the project  cost  in  rural  areas  and  15%  in  urban  areas.  For  beneficiaries  belonging  to  Special Categories  such  as  Scheduled  Castes,  Scheduled  Tribes,  OBCs,  Minorities,  Women,  Exservicemen,  Physically  Handicapped,  Transgenders,  beneficiaries  belonging  to  Northeastern Region (NER), Hill and Border areas, and Aspirational Districts, the Margin Money subsidy is 35% in rural areas and 25% in urban areas.

Initiatives undertaken by the Ministry of MSME under PMEGP to promote entrepreneurship and create job opportunities across the country including State of Telangana are as follows:

- i. Enhancement of maximum project cost from Rs. 25 lakh to Rs. 50 lakh for   manufacturing sector and from Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 20 lakh for service sector.
- ii. Inclusion of applicants from Aspirational districts and Transgenders under special category eligible for higher subsidy.
- iii. Acceptance  of  PMEGP  applications  from  beneficiaries  in  physical  form  in  19  regional languages since June 2025 excluding Hindi and English.
- iv. No collateral security will be insisted upon by banks in line with the guidelines of RBI for projects involving loan up to Rs.10 lakh in respect of the projects forwarded to the financing banks by the implementing agencies.
- v. Enhancing the scope of activities by modifying Negative list to allow more activities under Animal  Husbandry  like  dairy,  poultry,  aquaculture  and  sericulture.  As  a  special  case, piggery, a major source of livelihood in NER, is allowed in NER States.
- vi. A wide range of more than 1,000 Model of Detailed Project Reports have been prepared on various industries and made available on the PMEGP online portal enabling applicants to submit quality DPRs.
- vii. Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) training is provided to prospective    entrepreneurs  and  beneficiaries  to  provide  orientation  and  awareness pertaining  to  various  managerial  and  operational  functions  like  finance,  production, marketing, enterprise management etc.
- viii. Awareness programmes in all the States/UTs including backward and under-performing areas, Aspirational districts, North Eastern Region particularly for SC/ST, women and youth beneficiaries etc.

The number of women, SC/ ST owned Microenterprises assisted under the PMEGP Scheme in the State of Telangana, including in Nagarkurnool district are as given in Annexure II-A .

4. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) MoHUA was implementing the 'Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAYNULM)' till 30th September, 2024 which aimed to reduce poverty and vulnerability of urban poor households by enabling them to access gainful self-employment and skilled wage employment opportunities, in order to improve their livelihoods on a sustainable basis, through building strong grassroots level institutions of the urban poor including women. The Mission ended on 30.09.2024.

Self-employment programme (SEP) Component of DAY-NULM focused on providing financial assistance to individuals/groups of urban poor for setting up gainful self-employment ventures/ micro-enterprises, suited to their skills, training, aptitude and local conditions.

Beneficiaries  assisted  for  setting  up  of  individual/  group  micro  enterprises  in  the  State  of Telangana: 16,098

Number of loans provided to SHGs under Bank Linkage programme in the State of Telangana42,775

Employment  through  Skills  Training  and  Placement  (EST&P) component  of  DAY-NULM intended to provide training to the urban poor as per the skill demand from the market, so that they could set up self-employment ventures or secure salaried employment.

No. of candidates skill trained in the State of Telangana- 24,484

No. of skilled candidates placed in the State of Telangana- 17,437

5.  Department  of  Science  and  Technology  (DST)  Following  programmes  of  DST  provide support  for  SC/ST  beneficiaries  including  women  beneficiaries  on  pan  India  basis,  including Telangana state:

(a)  Science  Technology  and  Innovation  (STI)  Hubs: This  programme  focusses  on  holistic development of Scheduled Tribe/ Scheduled Caste communities across diverse regions of the country through systemic interventions in collaborative frameworks. By establishing STI Hubs in partnership-driven networks, it seeks to overcome last-mile challenges in introducing, delivering, managing, and extending technology applications for the benefit of target populations. These hubs also harness frontier technologies from knowledge institutions for deployment in target areas. The key objectives include strengthening weak linkages in livelihood systems through Science and Technology interventions, promoting social enterprises as per community strengths, and enriching Indigenous Knowledge Systems with scientific inputs for sustainable growth.

(b) Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe Cells in State Science and Technology Councils: The program is designed to leverage the significant presence of these councils across States and Union Territories in a more systematic and effective manner. It aims to achieve development for SC/ST  communities  through  collaborative efforts involving government  officials, industry, academia, and society while adopting a bottom-up approach to gather information on livelihood systems, encompassing human, natural, social, physical and financial capitals, as well as local and indigenous knowledge.

(c) Individual R&D projects: The program, implemented in project mode, is designed to address critical  livelihood  challenges  faced  by  Scheduled  Tribe  (ST)  and  Scheduled  Caste  (SC) communities. These initiatives specifically target issues within livelihood systems or other pressing concerns that require the application of Science and Technology for resolution. The approach is beneficiary-oriented,  emphasizing  innovative  research  and  development  strategies  to  tackle identified  challenges. Each project  is  structured  to  focus  on one,  or  at  most  two  to  three,  key problem areas at a time, ensuring concentrated efforts and measurable impact.

ANNEXURE II-A

ANNEXURES REFERRED TO IN REPLY OF PART (a) to (e) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION  NO.5949 ANSWERED  ON  30.03.2026  REGARDING  'SKILL  TRAINING  FOR WOMEN AND SC/ ST ENTREPRENEURS'

The number of women, SC/ ST owned Microenterprises assisted under the PMEGP Scheme in the State of Telangana, including in Nagarkurnool district are as given below:

Number  of  women  owned  Microenterprises  assisted  in  the  State  of  Telangana  under PMEGP during FY 2022-23 to FY 2024-25:

| Financial Year   |   No. of Microenterprises Assisted |   MM Subsidy (Rs. Cr.) | Estimated Employment Generated   |
|------------------|------------------------------------|------------------------|----------------------------------|
| 2022-23          |                                953 |                  39.77 | 7,624                            |
| 2023-24          |                                967 |                  46.18 | 7,736                            |
| 2024-25          |                                764 |                  36.04 | 6,112                            |

Number of women owned Microenterprises assisted in Nagarkurnool district of Telangana state under PMEGP during FY 2022-23 to FY 2024-25:

| Financial Year   |   No. of Microenterprises Assisted |   MM Subsidy (Rs. Lakh.) |   Estimated Employment Generated |
|------------------|------------------------------------|--------------------------|----------------------------------|
| 2022-23          |                                 22 |                    65.68 |                              176 |
| 2023-24          |                                 19 |                    93.96 |                              152 |
| 2024-25          |                                 19 |                    71.83 |                              152 |

Number of SC owned Microenterprises assisted in Nagarkurnool district of Telangana state under PMEGP during FY 2022-23 to FY 2024-25:

| Financial Year   |   No. of Microenterprises Assisted |   MM Subsidy (Rs. Cr.) |   Estimated Employment Generated |
|------------------|------------------------------------|------------------------|----------------------------------|
| 2022-23          |                                  6 |                   9.69 |                               48 |
| 2023-24          |                                  5 |                  32.34 |                               40 |
| 2024-25          |                                  9 |                  28.14 |                               72 |

Number of ST owned Microenterprises assisted in Nagarkurnool district of Telangana state under PMEGP during FY 2022-23 to FY 2024-25:

| Financial Year   |   No. of Microenterprises Assisted |   MM Subsidy (Rs. Cr.) |   Estimated Employment Generated |
|------------------|------------------------------------|------------------------|----------------------------------|
| 2022-23          |                                 18 |                  44.25 |                              144 |
| 2023-24          |                                 17 |                  41.9  |                              136 |
| 2024-25          |                                 24 |                  88.09 |                              192 |

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