Table of Contents
- Introduction
- What Is Women's Entrepreneurship
- Importance of Women Entrepreneurship
- Types of Women Entrepreneurs
- Opportunities for Women Entrepreneurs
- Challenges Faced by Women Entrepreneurs
- Skills Required for Women Entrepreneurs
- Government Schemes and Support Systems
- Funding Options for Women Entrepreneurs
- Success Stories of Women Entrepreneurs
- Tips for Aspiring Women Entrepreneurs
- Conclusion
Introduction
Understanding Women Entrepreneurship
Women's entrepreneurship refers to when a woman operates a business with financial interest in it.
Importance of Women-Led Businesses
- Women-led businesses are growing continuously and driving profit, employment, innovation, etc.
- Women-led businesses outperform their peers by 21% in terms of profitability.
- Women leaders focus on creating impact and are community driven that builds a positive culture in a workplace.
- Women-led businesses are diverse in terms of perception, customer representation, and the needs of society.
Growth of Women Entrepreneurs Globally
- Don't get shocked, as women-led businesses comprise roughly around 37% of global entrepreneurs.
- Over 126 million women are running and leading a business.
- Women are said to be 5% more likely to be innovative in their approach to handling problems and running businesses.
What Is Women's Entrepreneurship?
Definition and Concept
Women-led businesses are when a woman takes part in leading and running a business and has at least 51% of the share capital.
Evolution of Women Entrepreneurship
Before the 1970s, women used to do business or generate income by making papads, bengals, or pottery.
In 1990, the new economic policy was formed, and women got a chance to build businesses in new sectors. Women are entering professional fields rather than just doing traditional roles. They participated in roles like designing, publishing, and manufacturing.
Since the 2000s to the present, technology has disrupted the whole ecosystem, and women are now into tech-driven businesses. Due to various funding schemes like Startup India, women are now more open to innovating and leading big corporate offices.
Role of Women Entrepreneurs in the Economy
Women entrepreneurs are vital for economic growth. Women-led businesses create employment and contribute to the overall GDP growth. As of now, women-led businesses are contributing around 20% in the MSME Sector in India.
Key Characteristics of Successful Women Entrepreneurs
The key characteristics of successful women entrepreneurs are as follows:
- Women entrepreneurs are more likely to persist, they can bounce back from failure, and have a deep-seated interest in achieving what they want to build.
- A successful woman entrepreneur always tries to think out-of-the-box ideas, engage themselves in understanding future trends and consumer demands, and take calculated risks.
- Women who stay socially connected with mentors, peers, and customers. They can understand and manage their own emotions as well as take care of their employees.
- A successful woman entrepreneur must understand financial management and operational know-how. They are the ones who manage their work-life balance, at the very best.
Importance of Women Entrepreneurship
Economic Empowerment of Women
Women-led businesses not only create profit, but they also empower women economically. We live in a society where it is essential for a woman to support herself. Women-led businesses drive more female employment, which drives economic empowerment of women.
Job Creation and Innovation
Women are said to be more innovative and creative when it comes to thinking about ideas and execution. Not only that, when a woman runs and leads a business, she creates employment opportunities for both males and females.
Social and Community Impact
Women-led businesses are socially driven and focus on how to solve customer issues and how society can benefit from their services. Women entrepreneurs foster a positive culture at the workplace.
Gender Equality and Inclusive Growth
Due to the increasing number of women-led businesses, the gender gap is reduced. Women are entering every industry and gaining growth. This leads to creating an ecosystem where men and women are leading businesses together and use their abilities to solve customer issues.
Types of Women Entrepreneurs
Small-Scale Entrepreneurs
Small-scale women entrepreneurs are those who operate a business in local settings like boutiques, cafes, or salons. They operate their day-to-day activities and manage finances.
Startup Founders
Women entrepreneurs who are startup founders work on community-driven issues and impact creation. They operate with a small team and solve people's issues.
Social Entrepreneurs
Social women entrepreneurs are those who solve society's problems, and their core business model is to serve society through education, running NGOs, and healthcare.
Home-Based and Online
Entrepreneurs
A lot of women entrepreneurs today are home-based and do online businesses. They make or produce goods at home and deliver them through e-commerce services. This way, they do not need high costs and capital.
Opportunities for Women Entrepreneurs
Emerging Business Sectors
Women entrepreneurs are successfully entering into emerging sectors like healthcare, sustainability, eco-friendly businesses, e-commerce, D2C brands, and beauty wellness services. We can see examples such as Namita Thapar from Emcure, Ghazal Alagh from Honasa Consumer, etc.
Digital and Online Business Opportunities
Women entrepreneurs are massively operating into digital and online business opportunities. They produce the product at home and deliver it through e-commerce channels like Amazon and Flipkart. Some examples can be fitness coaching, specialised consulting, freelance services, home-made goods selling, etc.
Rural and Urban Entrepreneurship
Rural women entrepreneurs are focusing on agro-based enterprises, cottage industries & handicrafts, food processing, small retail shops, and businesses like tailoring and specialized tutoring.
Urban women entrepreneurs are focusing on cloud kitchen & food services, specialized retail & renting, service-oriented startups, and digital freelancing.
Global Market Opportunities
Global market opportunities for women entrepreneurs can be entering into e-commerce, digital retail, tech & innovation fields like fintech, green technologies, IT, service-based businesses like social media management, freelancing, home-based specialized services like Snabbit & Pronto.
Challenges Faced by Women Entrepreneurs
Access to Finance
Women entrepreneurs face the challenge of access to finance. Some of them do not know about the existing ways of accessing finance, and others do not feel confident enough to pitch to investors and manage capital. Most women either use their own savings or ask friends or family for capital to start their businesses.
Social and Cultural Barriers
In our society, it is hard for women to build a business or venture, as society does not approve of it and creates social and cultural barriers. Families don't support women, and they find it hard to manage work-life.
Work–Life Balance
Women entrepreneurs face hardships juggling their responsibilities in their venture and their families. They are not able to give enough time to their families, which affects marriages. Some women even have to bring their child to the workplace to take care of them.
Lack of Mentorship and Networks
Women entrepreneurs lack mentorship and networking opportunities. 86% of women report missing networking opportunities. There is also a lack of female role models and mentors that limits the guidance needed for scaling businesses.
Skills Required for Women Entrepreneurs
Leadership and Decision-Making Skills
Leadership and decision-making skills are most important when you are a woman entrepreneur. Every day you'll have to face situations where you need to lead your team and make decisions that can affect your business.
Financial and Business Management
As a woman entrepreneur, you must know how to manage your finances and business activities. It's important to look after each expense and plan for future business-related profits and income.
Marketing and Communication Skills
What most women entrepreneurs really need to excel in is how they market their products and communicate with their team and customers. What you can do is to see how people in the past used different marketing strategies. You must also regularly communicate with your team and customers to get their feedback and foster an overall positive work culture.
Technology and Digital Skills
Most women entrepreneurs face the challenge of understanding digital and technological skills. You must stay updated on the latest digital tools and technologies emerging. You can follow the latest news and technology-related influencers to regularly update your procedures.
Government Schemes and Support Systems
Financial Assistance Programs
The government provides financial assistance programs to support women's entrepreneurship. These programs are Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, Stand-up India, Udyogini Scheme, Mahila Udyam Nidhi Scheme, Cent Kalyan Scheme, Annapurna Scheme, Trade related entrepreneurship assistance and development, and Mahila Samridhi Yojana.
Training and Skill Development Initiatives
The government has launched various training and skill development initiatives that are the Swavalambini Women Entrepreneurship Programme (2025), Women Entrepreneurship Platform, Entrepreneurship Skill Development Programme, Mahila Coir Yojana, Nai Roshni, Craftsmen Training Scheme, Udyami Mitra, and Trade Related Entrepreneurship Assistance and Development.
Startup Incubators and Accelerators
The government of India has provided facilities to women entrepreneurs by forming startup incubators and accelerator programs. Some of them are Women Entrepreneurship Platform, WE Hub, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council, Samridhi AcceleratHER, and Spark Incubation Centre.
Role of NGOs and Women's Associations
NGOs and women's associations provide training and capacity programs, give financial access, help women market their products, provide advocacy and support to reduce the gender gap in entrepreneurship, and partner with government bodies to give grants to women entrepreneurs.
Funding Options for Women Entrepreneurs
Bank Loans and Microfinance
Women can start a business by taking loans from banks or managing funds through microfinance schemes like Mahila Samridhi Yojana, Udyogini Scheme, and IDBI Bank Microfinance.
Venture Capital and Angel Investors
Women can also access capital by raising funds from venture capitalists and angel investors. Various venture capitalist firms support women entrepreneurship, and shows like Shark Tank India also support women to raise business.
Grants and Subsidies
The government provides numerous grants and subsidies for women entrepreneurs. Among these, the Stand-up India Scheme, the MUDRA Yojana, and the TREAD come as the best schemes that women entrepreneurs can opt for.
Bootstrapping and Crowdfunding
Bootstrapping refers to when a business uses self-investment by the owner. Most women use their own savings to invest in their business. Crowdfunding is also a good option where you can list your business purpose and impact, and ask the general public to donate capital.
Chapter 9: Success Stories of Women Entrepreneurs
Inspiring Global Examples
- Biotechnology & Pharma: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (India) founded Biocon in 1978, and she transformed it from a garage startup into a global biopharmaceutical leader.
- Retail & Fashion: Sara Blakely (USA): Founder of Spanx, she turned a ($5,000) savings into a billion-dollar apparel company. She is also known for supporting female entrepreneurs through her Red Backpack Fund.
- Falguni Nayar (India): Founder of Nykaa, she transformed the online beauty and cosmetics retail space, becoming one of India's most successful self-made entrepreneurs.
- Technology & Social Impact: Whitney Wolfe Herd (USA): Founder of Bumble, she became the youngest female CEO to take a company public.
- Tan Hooi Ling (Malaysia): Co-founder of Grab, she revolutionized the transportation and fintech industry in Southeast Asia.
- Aditi Gupta (India): Co-founder of Menstrupedia, she is breaking taboos and educating young girls about menstrual hygiene through her startup.
- Real Estate & Finance: Zhang Xin (China), co-founder of SOHO China, transitioned from a factory worker to a real estate mogul, often called "the woman who built Beijing".
- Social Entrepreneurship: Chayaa Nanjappa (India) founded Nectar Fresh, a social enterprise that empowers rural farmers and tribal communities, providing high-quality, sustainably sourced honey.
Successful Women Entrepreneurs in India
Key successful women entrepreneurs in India include:
- Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (Biocon): A pioneer in biotechnology.
- Falguni Nayar (Nykaa): A former investment banker who launched the e-commerce beauty giant Nykaa in 2012.
- Vineeta Singh (SUGAR Cosmetics): CEO and co-founder of SUGAR Cosmetics.
- Ghazal Alagh (Mamaearth): Co-founder of the D2C (Direct-to-Consumer) brand Mamaearth, which became a unicorn known for toxin-free products.
- Vani Kola (Kalaari Capital): A venture capitalist who has backed top startups like Snapdeal, Myntra, and Dream11.
- Upasana Taku (MobiKwik): Co-founder of the digital payment platform MobiKwik, leading in the fintech sector.
- Richa Kar (Zivame): Founded Zivame to change how Indian women shop for lingerie.
- Vandana Luthra (VLCC): Founder of VLCC, a pioneer in the wellness and beauty services industry since 1989.
- Aditi Gupta (Menstrupedia): Co-founder of Menstrupedia.
- Roshni Nadar Malhotra (HCL Technologies): First woman to lead a listed IT company in India.
- Suchi Mukherjee (Limeroad): Founder of the online fashion platform Limeroad.
- Kanika Tekriwal (JetSetGo): CEO of India's first private jet aggregator.
Lessons Learned from Women-Led Businesses
We can learn various lessons from women-led businesses. Some of these can be resilience and strong purpose, collaborative leadership, empathy-driven and positive work culture, building networks with other leaders, and successful work-life integration.
Tips for Aspiring Women Entrepreneurs
How to Start a Business
To start a business as a woman, you must first be self-confident and build resilience to face challenges. Then you can think of what you can provide to people and society, look at how you will manage your finances, create a roadmap for sourcing raw material, production, and marketing of products, then assess how many people you need in your team, compare competitors, and finally launch your business.
Building Confidence and Risk-Taking Ability
As a woman entrepreneur, you must have built confidence and have the ability to take risks. When you're operating your business, every day you'll be juggling leadership and decisions that can impact your business.
Networking and Mentorship
When you manage and run a business, you must network and seek mentorship from experienced individuals. You must expand your horizons and create a collaborative culture to foster innovation and drive growth.
Scaling and Sustaining the Business
Only running and managing the business is not enough; you must also plan to scale and sustain it. For this, you must understand future trends and provide goods and services based on changing customer demands and preferences.
Conclusion
The Future of Women Entrepreneurship
Women-led businesses are continuously growing, not only in India, but in the whole world. Women are understanding their abilities to run a venture and become economically empowered. Women entrepreneurs are supported by various government schemes and programmes. This has led to women starting their businesses and running them successfully. In India, women are entering into diverse and emerging sectors and leaving their lasting impression.
Encouraging More Women to Lead and Innovate
Through this blog, we aim to encourage more women to lead and innovate. According to reports, women are more innovative and lead a strong purpose of serving customer needs. You must not think about finances and capital, as the government has various initiatives specially designed to support women entrepreneurship in India. It's time for women entrepreneurs to successfully lead the workplace and get recognition globally.
FAQs
1. What is women's entrepreneurship?
Women Entrepreneurs is when a woman operates and manage a business with fa inancial interest in it.
2. Why is women's entrepreneurship important?
Women Entrepreneurship is important to make women economically empowered, create social and community impact, job creation and opportunities, reducing gender-gap in businesses, and found innovative ventures.
3. What are the best business ideas for women?
Best business ideas for women can range from small-scale businesses to global-level ventures, such as tailoring, boutiques, cafes, to running e-commerce, D2C Brands, and the Healthcare Sector.
4. What challenges do women entrepreneurs face?
Women face challenges of lacking mentorship and networking opportunities, lack of accessing capital, market and operational knowledge, and financial management.
5. How can women start their own business?
Women can start their own business by taking loans or registering themselves into government launched schemes. They can also go for bootstrapping and take help from NGOs and Women's Associations.
6. Are there government schemes for women entrepreneurs?
Yes. There are various government schemes for women entrepreneurs like Stand-up India, MUDRA, TREAD, and Udyogini Yojana.
7. What skills are important for women entrepreneurs?
Women need skills like operational and financial management, marketing and communication, collaborative mindset, networking, and self-confidence.
8. Can women entrepreneurs get business loans easily?
Yes. Women entrepreneurs get business loans easily, as there are various government-launched schemes that support women entrepreneurship, like Stand-up India, Samridhi Yojana, and MUDRA.
9. Who are some successful women entrepreneurs?
Some successful women entrepreneurs are Falguni Nagar, Ghazal Alagh, Vineeta Singh, Upasana Taku, and Aditi Gupta.
10. How can women entrepreneurs grow their business?
Women entrepreneurs can grow their business by updating their knowledge around current demands and preferences of customers, growing trends, future opportunities, and using government schemes to access capital.