The Aryavarth Express
Agency (New Delhi): The Udyam Registration Portal (URP) of the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) reveals that women-owned MSMEs account for 20.5% of all registered MSMEs since the portal’s inception on 1st July 2020. These enterprises significantly contribute to the MSME sector, with 18.73% of the total employment generated, 11.15% in total investment, and 10.22% in total turnover.
Further insights are provided by the Udyam Assist Platform (UAP), which focuses on Informal Micro Enterprises (IMEs). Since the launch of UAP on 11th January 2023, women-owned IMEs represent a remarkable 70.49% of total IMEs, contributing 70.84% to employment in this segment.
The Ministry of MSME has implemented various measures to bolster women’s participation in the MSME sector. These include special drives for Udyam registration, amendments to the Public Procurement Policy favoring women entrepreneurs, and beneficial provisions under the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Micro & Small Enterprises. Notable among these are a 10% concession in annual guarantee fees and an additional 10% guarantee coverage for women entrepreneurs.
Moreover, the Ministry has introduced several programs to enhance skills and provide market opportunities for women. These include the ‘Skill Upgradation & Mahila Coir Yojana’ under the Coir Vikas Yojana, the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) offering higher subsidies to women, and increased participation in trade fairs with higher subsidies for women-owned MSMEs.
The “SAMARTH” initiative is a notable effort, aiming to train over 7,500 women from rural and suburban areas in skill development and market assistance. Additionally, the MSME Sustainable Zero Defect Zero Effect (ZED) Certification Scheme offers a 100% subsidy on certification costs for women-owned MSMEs.
Another significant endeavor is the MSME Idea Hackathon 3.0, specially organized for women entrepreneurs, which received 18,888 innovative ideas.
To further support capacity building, the Ministry implements the Entrepreneurship Skill Development Programme (ESDP) and Mahila Coir Yojana (MCY), focusing on promoting new enterprises and enhancing skills, particularly among women artisans in the coir sector.
Detailed data on the contribution of women-owned MSMEs and IMEs in various states, in terms of numbers, employment, investment, and turnover, is meticulously documented in Annexure-I and Annexure-II.
This comprehensive information was provided by the Minister of State for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises, Shri Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma, in a written response to the Rajya Sabha today.