India’s push to strengthen women’s economic participation has moved beyond increasing workforce numbers to improving job quality and entrepreneurship opportunities. The Ministry of Labour and Employment, along with other government bodies, has rolled out a series of schemes supporting women entrepreneurs, startups and workers across emerging sectors.
Women’s labour force participation rate has risen sharply from 23.3% in 2017-18 to 40% in 2025, with an estimated 20 crore women now employed. To sustain and deepen this progress, the government is now focusing on formal recognition of businesses, access to credit, skills training and market connections.
Key facts
- Female Labour Force Participation Rate increased from 23.3% in 2017-18 to 40% in 2025
- Women Worker Population Rate rose from 22% to 38.8% over the same period
- Approximately 3.69 crore registered MSMEs are women-owned, representing 38% of all MSME registrations as of October 2026
- Over 1.07 lakh recognised startups have at least one woman director or partner, accounting for 48% of all recognised startups as of March 2026
- Women constitute 70% of the direct workforce in mobile phone manufacturing and 30% in electronics manufacturing
- Women account for 25% of semiconductor industry workforce and 15% of pilots in India
- Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana has sanctioned over 57.79 crore loans since 2015, with women accounting for two-thirds of all loans
- Credit Guarantee Scheme for Micro and Small Enterprises approved approximately 30.75 lakh guarantees worth 2.07 lakh crore for women-owned MSEs
- Fund of Funds for Startups invested approximately 2,995 crore in women-led startups from 2025 onwards as of January 2026
- Over 2.17 lakh women-owned MSEs registered on Government e-Marketplace by July 2026, with contract value exceeding 28,000 crore in FY 2025-26
- Yashasvini Campaign facilitated over 22 lakh women-owned MSME registrations as of July 2026
- Public procurement from women-owned MSEs reached 3.8% in FY 2025-26, exceeding the 3% target
Formalisation and enterprise recognition
Recognising that many women’s economic activities operate informally, the government has launched schemes to bring these businesses into the formal economy. Formal registration provides an official identity and opens access to credit, government schemes, skills training and business development support.
The Swavalambini Scheme, launched in February 2025, supports young women from the idea stage through to actual business creation. The pilot covers six higher education institutions across Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana. It offers entrepreneurship training, finance guidance, legal support and 21 weeks of mentorship. By August 2026, the scheme had trained 82 faculty members, 1,276 participants in an entrepreneurship awareness programme and 602 in an entrepreneurship development programme.
The Yashasvini Campaign, begun in 2024, aims to achieve gender parity on the Udyam Registration Portal by 2029 while promoting the 3% public procurement target for women-owned micro and small enterprises. By July 2026, it had facilitated registration of over 22 lakh women-owned MSMEs.
Credit and financing for women entrepreneurs
Access to collateral-free credit is central to enabling women entrepreneurs to invest, innovate and scale. The Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana, launched in 2015, offers loans up to 20 lakh rupees for micro and small enterprises. Since inception through April 2026, it sanctioned over 57.79 crore loans, with women entrepreneurs receiving two-thirds of all sanctioned loans.
The Credit Guarantee Scheme for Micro and Small Enterprises provides women-led MSEs enhanced guarantee coverage of 90% and a 10% concession on guarantee fees. Through February 2026, it approved approximately 30.75 lakh guarantees worth 2.07 lakh crore for women-owned MSEs.
For startups, the Fund of Funds for Startups has invested approximately 2,995 crore in women-led startups from 2025 onwards. The Startup India Seed Fund Scheme approved approximately 294 crore for women-led startups as of January 2026, while the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups guaranteed loans worth approximately 39 crore to women-led startups by the same date.
Market access and procurement support
Converting production into income requires access to buyers. The Womaniya Initiative on the Government e-Marketplace connects women-owned MSEs and self-help groups directly with formal government buyers. By July 2026, over 2.17 lakh women-owned MSEs were registered on GeM, with contract value exceeding 28,000 crore in FY 2025-26, representing 27.6% growth over the previous year. Women received 5.6% of total order value, exceeding the 3% procurement target.
The Procurement and Marketing Support Scheme offers women-owned MSEs 100% subsidy on built-up space rent for trade fairs and exhibitions. The MSME Trade Enablement and Marketing initiative, launched in 2024 for three years, supports women-owned MSEs to access digital markets through the Open Network for Digital Commerce. By 2025-26, 1,700 women-owned MSEs were registered.
Skills development in emerging sectors
With women entering technology and specialised sectors, targeted skills training has become critical. Between 2021-22 and 2025-26, major schemes trained significant numbers of women in artificial intelligence, semiconductors and renewable energy.
The Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 trained 20,393 women in artificial intelligence, 5,927 in semiconductors and 76,671 in renewable energy. The Craftsman Training Scheme through Industrial Training Institutes trained 512 women in AI, 31 in semiconductors and 5,753 in renewable energy.
New targeted initiatives launched in 2025 include NAVYA, aiming to skill 3,850 adolescent girls in non-traditional job roles under PMKVY 4.0. By August 2026, 1,105 girls had been trained. The AI Careers for Women programme is establishing 30 Centres of Excellence in women’s colleges across six states to provide 20,000 learners with practical AI training, certifications and internships.
The Women in Science and Engineering scheme promotes women’s participation in research and development through fellowships and institutional support programmes, with 180 women pursuing PhDs in 2025-26 and over 110 women scientists gaining employment.
What this means for you
If you are a woman entrepreneur, these schemes provide pathways from business idea to formal registration, credit access and market connections. Workers entering technology sectors can access targeted skills training. Women in emerging areas like semiconductors, artificial intelligence and renewable energy have dedicated support programmes. The schemes particularly benefit those from smaller towns and rural areas through dedicated e-commerce platforms and skill centres.
What happens next
The Yashasvini Campaign aims to achieve gender parity on Udyam Registration platforms by 2029. The AI Careers for Women programme will scale to 150 spoke centres across Tier-II and Tier-III towns. The MSME Trade Enablement and Marketing initiative continues through 2027.