Lok Sabha Question No. 1908 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-11
Subject: Credit Gap among Women-led MSMEs
Ministry: MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES
Asked by: Dr. Prabha Mallikarjun

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1908 TO BE ANSWERED ON: 11.12.2025

## CREDIT GAP AMONG WOMEN-LED MSMEs

1908. DR. PRABHA MALLIKARJUN:

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

- (a) whether the Government has undertaken any assessment of the credit gap among women-led Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), currently estimated at Rupees 1.37 lakh crore and if so, the details thereof including the reasons for this persistent disparity;
- (b) the number of Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) accounts held by women entrepreneurs and the percentage share of total credit disbursed as of March 2025; and
- (c) the specific steps being taken to ensure parity in disbursement and credit-guarantee coverage for  women-owned  enterprises,  including  collaboration  with  scheduled  banks  and  Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) to enhance formal credit flow to women entrepreneurs?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)

(a)  to  (c):    The  Government  has  taken  a  number  of  initiatives  to  ensure  disbursement  and  creditguarantee coverage for women-owned enterprises as below:

- i. The Credit Guarantee Scheme (CGS) for Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) provides credit guarantees for the loans extended to the MSEs without any collateral security and third-party guarantee including credit guarantee coverage of 90% for loans extended to women led MSEs against 75% in general with 10% relaxation in guarantee fee.
- ii.   To support women entrepreneurs, the Public Procurement Policy mandates at least 3% of their annual  procurement  from  women  led  MSEs  by  Central  Public  Sector  Enterprises  (CPSEs) /Ministries/Departments.
- iii.  Ministry  of  MSME  implements  Prime  Minister's  Employment  Generation  Programme (PMEGP) which is a credit-linked subsidy programme aimed at generating self-employment opportunities  through  establishment  of  micro-enterprises  in  the  non-farm  sector  by  helping traditional artisans and rural/urban unemployed youth. Out of the total PMEGP beneficiaries, 39% are women and they are  provided  higher subsidy  (35%)  vis-a-vis  general category  of micro enterprises (upto 25%).
- iv.  To  encourage  entrepreneurship  among  women,  Ministry  of  MSME  implements  'Skill Upgradation  and  Mahila  Coir  Yojana'  under  Coir  Vikas  Yojana,  which  is  an  exclusive training programme aimed at skill development of women artisans engaged in the Coir sector.

- v.  Participation of women entrepreneurs in trade fairs under Procurement and Marketing Support Scheme is subsidized to the extent of 100% vis-a-vis 80% for other entrepreneurs.
- vi.  Ministry  of  MSME  has  launched  'PM  Vishwakarma'  Scheme  on  17.09.2023,  to  provide  a number of benefits to the traditional artisans and craftspeople including women, engaged in 18 trades.
- vii.  The  Ministry  has  launched awareness campaign 'Yashasvini' to create awareness about its schemes  among  existing  and  prospective  women  entrepreneurs  to  provide  continuum  of handholding and capacity building support.

As reported, the number of accounts held by women entrepreneurs and the percentage share of total credit disbursed under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) from FY 2015-16 to FY 2024-25 are as under:

| Particulars               | Number of loan accounts   | Amount of loan amount disbursed   |
|---------------------------|---------------------------|-----------------------------------|
| All accounts (Cumulative) | 53.31 crore               | Rs. 33.63 lakh crore              |
| Women Entrepreneurs       | 35.76 crore (67%)         | Rs. 14.46 lakh crore (43%)        |

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