Advancing Women’s Economic Empowerment through Employment and Enterprise
1
According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), the female Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) for women aged 15 years and above increased from 23.3% in 2017–18 to 40.0% in 2025, while the Worker Population Ratio (WPR) rose from 22.0% to 38.8%. Approximately 20 crore women aged 15 years and above were employed in India in 2025. LFPR measures the proportion of people working or seeking or available for work, while WPR measures the proportion actually employed.
2
As of October 2026, approximately 3.69 crore registered Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) were women-owned, accounting for nearly 38% of total MSME registrations. By March 2026, more than 1.07 lakh recognised startups had at least one woman director or partner, representing approximately 48% of all recognised startups.
3
As of July 2026, women constituted nearly 70% of the direct workforce in mobile phone manufacturing and approximately 30% of the workforce created in the wider electronics manufacturing sector over the preceding decade. Women accounted for approximately 25% of the semiconductor industry workforce and nearly one-fourth of India’s chip design and engineering workforce as of March 2025.
4
Women accounted for 15% of India’s pilots, 15% of air traffic controllers, 11% of flight dispatchers and 33% of Flight Operations Inspectors in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) as of June 2025. According to Research & Development Statistics 2025–26, women’s participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) research careers increased from 13% in 2000–01 to 18.6% in 2020–21 and 29% in 2023–24.
5
The Swavalambini Scheme was launched in February 2025 as a pilot across six higher education institutions in Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana to support young women from business ideation to enterprise creation. It provides entrepreneurship training, financial and market guidance, legal support and 21 weeks of mentorship for selected participants. Its pilot achievements included training 82 faculty members, 1,276 participants under the Entrepreneurship Awareness Programme and 602 under the Entrepreneurship Development Programme.
6
The Yashasvini Campaign, launched in 2024, aims to achieve gender parity in registrations on the Udyam Registration Portal and Udyam Assist Platform by 2029 and promote the mandated 3% public procurement target for women-owned Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs). By July 2026, it had facilitated over 22 lakh women-owned MSME registrations. Procurement from women-owned MSEs reached 3.8% in FY 2025–26, exceeding the prescribed target.
7
Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY), launched in 2015, provides collateral-free loans of up to ₹20 lakh for non-corporate, non-farm income-generating micro and small enterprises. By April 2026, more than 57.79 crore loans had been sanctioned, with women entrepreneurs accounting for approximately two-thirds of them. Under the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Micro and Small Enterprises, women-led MSEs receive 90% guarantee coverage and a 10% concession on guarantee fees; approximately 30.75 lakh guarantees worth ₹2.07 lakh crore had been approved for women-owned MSEs by February 2026.
8
The Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) is a credit-linked subsidy scheme supporting new micro-enterprises in the non-farm sector. Women beneficiaries are eligible for a 25% margin-money subsidy in urban areas and 35% in rural areas. By May 2026, women accounted for nearly 40% of assisted micro-enterprises and received approximately 45% of the total margin-money subsidy disbursed.
9
Startup India, launched in 2016, supports entrepreneurship through several financing mechanisms. The Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS), established in 2016, channels investment through Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)-registered Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs), which had invested approximately ₹2,995 crore in women-led startups from 2025 onwards as of January 2026. The Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS), launched in 2021, had approved approximately ₹294 crore through incubators, while the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS), operational since April 2023, had guaranteed approximately ₹39 crore in loans to women-led startups by January 2026.
10
The Womaniya Initiative on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) connects women-owned MSEs and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) with government buyers through a dedicated digital interface. By July 2026, more than 2.17 lakh women-owned MSEs were registered on GeM. During FY 2025–26, the total contract value awarded to women-owned MSEs exceeded ₹28,000 crore, recording 27.6% annual growth; women received 5.6% of the total GeM order value, exceeding the mandated 3% procurement target.
11
The Procurement and Marketing Support (PMS) Scheme provides registered MSEs with market access through trade fairs, exhibitions, vendor-development programmes, e-commerce and packaging support; women-owned MSEs receive a 100% subsidy on built-up space rent for trade fairs. The MSME Trade Enablement and Marketing (TEAM) initiative operates during 2024–27 under the Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) Programme and promotes access to the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC). By 2025–26, 1,700 women-owned MSEs had registered under TEAM.
12
During 2021–22 to 2025–26, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 (PMKVY 4.0) trained 20,393 women in artificial intelligence, 5,927 in semiconductors and 76,671 in renewable energy. The National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) trained 1,534 women in artificial intelligence and 19,899 in renewable energy, while the Craftsman Training Scheme (CTS) trained 512 in artificial intelligence, 31 in semiconductors and 5,753 in renewable energy.
13
Nurturing Aspirations through Vocational Training for Young Adolescent Girls (NAVYA), launched in 2025, targets skill development for 3,850 adolescent girls under PMKVY 4.0 in non-traditional and future-oriented occupations; 1,105 girls had been trained by 31 August 2026. The AI Careers for Women programme, launched in 2025, aims to establish 30 Centres of Excellence in women’s colleges across six states, supporting 150 spoke centres in Tier-II and Tier-III towns and providing industry-relevant training to 20,000 learners.
14
Women in Science and Engineering–Knowledge Involvement in Research Advancement through Nurturing (WISE-KIRAN) supports women in scientific research through fellowships and institutional programmes, including WISE-PhD, WISE-PDF, WISE-SCOPE, WISE-IPR, WIDUSHI, CURIE, Vigyan Jyoti, GATI and the Women in Space Leadership Programme. During 2025–26, 180 women pursued PhDs, 606 women scientists received post-doctoral or translational research support, 26 senior scientists received research support and 29,443 schoolgirls received STEM support. More than 110 women scientists gained employment, while over 450 benefited through research participation, skill enhancement or career re-entry.
15
In November 2025, 29 existing labour laws were consolidated into four Labour Codes covering wages, industrial relations, social security and occupational safety, health and working conditions. The framework provides up to 26 weeks of paid maternity leave for eligible women and 12 weeks for adoptive and commissioning mothers, a ₹3,500 medical bonus where free prenatal and postnatal care is unavailable, two daily nursing breaks until a child reaches 15 months, and crèche facilities in establishments with at least 50 workers, including four daily visits. It also provides for proportional representation of women in Grievance Redressal Committees, one-third representation on Central and State Advisory Boards, prohibition of gender discrimination in recruitment, wages and employment conditions, and employment during night shifts with consent and prescribed safeguards.
Must Know Terms
1. Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR)
LFPR measures the proportion of the population that is employed or seeking or available for work. India’s female LFPR for women aged 15 years and above increased from 23.3% in 2017–18 to 40.0% in 2025.
2. Worker Population Ratio (WPR)
WPR measures the proportion of employed persons in the total population. India’s female WPR increased from 22.0% in 2017–18 to 38.8% in 2025, reflecting an increase in women’s actual employment.
3. Yashasvini Campaign
Launched in 2024, the Yashasvini Campaign promotes women’s entrepreneurship through formal MSME registration, awareness and capacity building. It aims to achieve gender parity on the Udyam Registration Portal and Udyam Assist Platform by 2029 and supports the 3% public procurement target for women-owned micro and small enterprises.
4. Womaniya Initiative
Womaniya is an initiative under the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) that connects women-owned Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) with government buyers. It facilitates digital registration, product listing and access to formal public procurement markets.
5. NAVYA Scheme
Nurturing Aspirations through Vocational Training for Young Adolescent Girls (NAVYA) was launched in 2025 to provide skill training to 3,850 adolescent girls under PMKVY 4.0. It focuses on non-traditional and future-oriented occupations. By 31 August 2026, 1,105 girls had received training.
6. WISE-KIRAN
Women in Science and Engineering–Knowledge Involvement in Research Advancement through Nurturing (WISE-KIRAN) promotes women’s participation in scientific research and development. It supports doctoral and post-doctoral research, career re-entry, intellectual property rights training and institutional programmes through initiatives such as WISE-PhD, WISE-PDF, CURIE, GATI and Vigyan Jyoti.
Multiple-Choice Questions
1. With reference to women’s labour force participation in India, consider the following statements:
1. The female Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) for women aged 15 years and above reached 40.0% in 2025.
2. The female Worker Population Ratio (WPR) increased from 23.3% in 2017–18 to 38.8% in 2025.
3. LFPR includes persons who are employed as well as those seeking or available for work.
4. WPR includes unemployed persons actively seeking employment.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 and 4 only
(d) 1, 3 and 4 only
2. With reference to women’s participation in entrepreneurship in India, consider the following statements:
1. As of October 2026, approximately 3.69 crore registered MSMEs were women-owned, accounting for nearly 38% of total MSME registrations.
2. By March 2026, more than 1.07 lakh recognised startups had at least one woman director or partner, representing approximately 48% of recognised startups.
3. Women-owned MSMEs accounted for approximately 48% of all MSME registrations as of October 2026.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1, 2 and 3
(d) 1 and 2 only
3. Consider the following pairs regarding women’s participation in India’s manufacturing and technology sectors:
1. Mobile phone manufacturing — Nearly 70%
2. Semiconductor industry workforce — Nearly 30%
3. Wider electronics manufacturing — Nearly 25%
4. Chip design and engineering workforce — Nearly one-fourth
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
(a) 1 and 4 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 3 and 4 only
4. With reference to women’s participation in aviation and scientific research, consider the following statements:
1. As of June 2025, women accounted for approximately 15% of both pilots and air traffic controllers in India.
2. Women constituted approximately 11% of Flight Operations Inspectors in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
3. Women’s participation in STEM research careers reached 29% in 2023–24.
4. Women’s participation in STEM research careers stood at 18.6% in 2000–01.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 2 and 4 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 3 and 4 only
5. With reference to the Swavalambini Scheme, consider the following statements:
1. It was launched in February 2025 as a pilot across six higher education institutions in five states.
2. Selected participants receive 21 weeks of mentorship and handholding for enterprise development.
3. Exactly 1,200 participants were trained under the Entrepreneurship Awareness Programme during the pilot.
4. A total of 602 faculty members were trained under the Faculty Development Programme.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 and 4 only
(d) 3 and 4 only
6. With reference to the Yashasvini Campaign, consider the following statements:
1. It was launched in 2024 to promote women’s entrepreneurship and formal business registration.
2. It aims to achieve gender parity on the Udyam Registration Portal and Udyam Assist Platform by 2029.
3. By July 2026, it had facilitated more than 22 lakh women-owned MSME registrations.
4. Public procurement from women-owned MSEs remained exactly at the mandated 3% target during FY 2025–26.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1, 2 and 3 only
(c) 2, 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
7. Consider the following statements regarding financial support for women-led enterprises:
1. Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana provides collateral-free loans of up to ₹20 lakh for eligible non-corporate, non-farm income-generating enterprises.
2. Women entrepreneurs accounted for approximately one-third of all loans sanctioned under PMMY by April 2026.
3. Women-led MSEs receive enhanced guarantee coverage of 90% under the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Micro and Small Enterprises.
4. Women-led MSEs are required to pay an additional 10% guarantee fee under the Credit Guarantee Scheme.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 3 and 4 only
(d) 1 and 3 only
8. With reference to the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), consider the following statements:
1. Women beneficiaries are eligible for a 35% margin-money subsidy in rural areas.
2. Women beneficiaries are eligible for a 35% margin-money subsidy in urban areas.
3. By May 2026, women accounted for nearly 40% of micro-enterprises assisted under PMEGP.
4. Women beneficiaries received approximately 40% of the total margin-money subsidy disbursed by May 2026.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 4 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 3 and 4 only
9. Consider the following pairs regarding financial initiatives for women-led startups:
1. Fund of Funds for Startups — Approximately ₹2,995 crore invested in women-led startups through supported AIFs from 2025 onwards, as of January 2026.
2. Startup India Seed Fund Scheme — Approximately ₹39 crore approved for women-led startups through incubators as of January 2026.
3. Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups — Operational since April 2023, with approximately ₹39 crore in loans guaranteed to women-led startups by January 2026.
4. Startup India — Launched in 2021 to promote innovation and startup entrepreneurship.
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 4 only
(d) 3 and 4 only
10. With reference to the Womaniya Initiative, consider the following statements:
1. It operates through the Government e-Marketplace and connects women-owned MSEs and Self-Help Groups with government buyers.
2. More than 2.17 crore women-owned MSEs were registered on GeM by July 2026.
3. During FY 2025–26, contract value awarded to women-owned MSEs exceeded ₹28,000 crore, representing 27.6% annual growth.
4. Women-owned MSEs accounted for 3.8% of the total GeM order value during FY 2025–26.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 2 and 3 only
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 4 only
(d) 2 and 4 only
11. With reference to market-access initiatives for women-owned enterprises, consider the following statements:
1. Under the Procurement and Marketing Support Scheme, women-owned MSEs are eligible for a 100% subsidy on built-up space rent for trade fairs.
2. The MSME Trade Enablement and Marketing initiative operates during 2024–27 under the RAMP Programme.
3. The TEAM initiative provides digital market access exclusively through the Government e-Marketplace.
4. By FY 2025–26, approximately 17,000 women-owned MSEs had registered under the TEAM initiative.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 2 and 4 only
(c) 1 and 2 only
(d) 3 and 4 only
12. Consider the following pairs regarding women trained in emerging sectors during 2021–22 to 2025–26:
1. PMKVY 4.0 — Semiconductor — 5,927
2. National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme — AI — 1,534
3. Craftsman Training Scheme — Renewable Energy — 19,899
4. PMKVY 4.0 — Renewable Energy — 76,761
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
(a) Only one
(b) Only three
(c) All four
(d) Only two
13. With reference to NAVYA and AI Careers for Women, consider the following statements:
1. NAVYA was launched in 2025 with a target of skilling 3,850 adolescent girls in non-traditional and future-oriented occupations.
2. Under NAVYA, 1,105 adolescent girls had been trained by 31 August 2026.
3. AI Careers for Women aims to establish 150 Centres of Excellence in women’s colleges and 30 spoke centres.
4. AI Careers for Women aims to provide practical, industry-relevant training to 20,000 learners.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 1, 2 and 4 only
(c) 2, 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 3 and 4 only
14. With reference to the WISE-KIRAN initiative, consider the following statements regarding its achievements during 2025–26:
1. A total of 180 women pursued PhDs under its support programmes.
2. A total of 606 schoolgirls received support for STEM education.
3. A total of 26 senior women scientists received research and development support.
4. More than 29,000 women scientists gained employment through the initiative.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 4 only
(d) 3 and 4 only
15. With reference to labour reforms and workplace protections for women, consider the following statements:
1. In November 2025, 29 existing labour laws were consolidated into four Labour Codes.
2. Eligible women receive up to 26 weeks of paid maternity leave, while adoptive and commissioning mothers are entitled to 12 weeks.
3. Women are entitled to two nursing breaks during the working day until their child reaches 12 months of age.
4. Establishments with at least 50 workers must provide crèche facilities, with four daily visits permitted for women employees.
5. Women are prohibited from working night shifts even when they provide consent and prescribed safeguards are available.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1, 3 and 4 only
(b) 1, 2 and 3 only
(c) 1, 2 and 4 only
(d) 2, 3 and 5 only
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