WOMEN’S ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN INDIA: INSIGHTS FROM GEM REPORTS AND THE ROAD AHEAD
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59415/mjacs.386Keywords:
Women’s Entrepreneurship, Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), Inclusive Growth, Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, Gender Empowerment.Abstract
Women's entrepreneurship has emerged as a key driver of inclusive economic growth, innovation, employment generation, and social transformation in India. Despite substantial progress in the entrepreneurial ecosystem over the past decade, women's participation in entrepreneurship remains considerably lower than that of men due to persistent socio-cultural, financial, and institutional barriers. This review synthesizes evidence from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) Women's Entrepreneurship Report 2024–25 to evaluate the current landscape, emerging opportunities, policy initiatives, and future prospects of women's entrepreneurship in India.
The GEM report highlights encouraging improvements in entrepreneurial perceptions among Indian women. Approximately 76% perceive favorable business opportunities, 86% believe they possess the capabilities to start a business, and entrepreneurial intention has increased to 41%. However, 54% of women continue to report fear of failure as a significant barrier to venture creation. Furthermore, women-owned enterprises remain concentrated in consumer service sectors, with relatively low participation in technology-intensive, innovation-driven, manufacturing, and export-oriented industries.
India has implemented several initiatives to strengthen women's entrepreneurship, including the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) of NITI Aayog, and various state-level programs promoting entrepreneurship, digital literacy, skill development, and financial inclusion. Despite these efforts, rural and underserved women continue to experience limited access to formal finance, mentorship, business networks, and market opportunities. Moreover, many women entrepreneurs remain necessity-driven rather than opportunity-driven, emphasizing the need for policies that support innovation, enterprise scaling, and long-term business sustainability.
Strengthening women's entrepreneurship offers substantial economic and social benefits. Women currently contribute approximately 17% to India's GDP, and expanding their entrepreneurial participation could add nearly US$700 billion to the economy by 2030 while accelerating employment generation through women-led micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Future growth will depend on greater participation in emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, information and communication technologies, agritech, biotechnology, and green technologies, supported by inclusive digital ecosystems, gender-responsive financing, and stronger innovation networks. This review concludes that empowering women entrepreneurs is not only an economic necessity but also a catalyst for achieving sustainable development, gender equality, and India's long-term vision of inclusive and innovation-driven growth.
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