Women Entrepreneurs

Breaking the cycle: Business families must lead in safeguarding women

Despite ongoing reforms and heightened awareness, incidents of violence against women continue to plague our society

Har Ghar Tiranga: Demand for flags helped women's SHGs thrive, says govt

The Culture Ministry said on Wednesday that the 'Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan', which was launched in 2022, has created employment opportunities for thousands of women associated with self-held groups (SHGs), which have increasingly taken over flag production to meet the massive demand. Union Culture Secretary Govind Mohan said approximately 25 crore flags are needed annually and the production has shifted from large vendors to SHGs, turning them into a thriving industry as they now produce and sell most of the national flags. He said when the programme was first launched in 2022 as part of the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, there was a significant challenge in meeting the demand for flags. To address this, the central government procured national flags from large vendors and distributed approximately 7.5 crore flags to the states, directly and through post offices, he noted in a statement, adding that the government also revised the Flag Code of .

Progress or distress? Track the rise of women-led informal businesses

New Budget schemes seek to improve market access, scaling of operations for women-related ventures

Japan should let married women keep their surname, says business lobby

Japan is the only country that still enforces such a rule, according to Keidanren's research, and it has failed to budge despite multiple calls from a UN panel on discrimination against women

Fewer top women earners in British finance since pandemic, shows report

The lack of progression of women to the most senior roles in financial and professional services is a major factor contributing to the gender pay gap

Top 10 women trailblazer entrepreneurs shaping future of business in India

The story of the top 10 women entrepreneurs who are playing a critical role in shaping the future of entrepreneurship in India, paving the path for a better future for women in the country

Number of women on boards of top 100 firms rose in 5 years: Report

Number of firms with no independent woman director went down, claims survey

Women-led direct-to-consumer brands see 54-fold growth in 2023: Simpl

Women-led D2C brands growth in 2023 was driven by demand in beauty, apparel, and personal care. Rising internet commerce in non-metro cities fuel this trend

Women-owned MSMEs boost jobs and economy ahead of women's day: Report

Women-owned MSMEs hired 11% more women, created one-third of new jobs, and reported a 12% rise in monthly revenue, finds Kinara Capital's MSME Insights report

63% women aspire to be entrepreneurs, seek financial independence: Study

The fourth edition of the PayNearby Women Financial Index finds more women are seeking financial independence, adopting digital payments, and seeking better financial planning

Budget 2024: Women entrepreneurs advocate inclusive policies, skilling

Women entrepreneurs and leaders highlight key areas, including healthcare, maternity benefits, education, and skill training, where more inclusive policies could be drafted in Budget 2024

Budget 2024 LIVE news: Auto firms seek continued push for green mobility

Budget LIVE: Ahead of Lok Sabha elections, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be presenting the interim budget on February 1, catch all the Budget related updates here

Budget expectations: Income tax benefits, support to women entrepreneurs

An increase in income tax exemption limits, support to women entrepreneurs, a long-term taxation policy and steps to boost consumption and savings are among the expectations of experts from the interim budget which will be presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1 ahead of Lok Sabha elections. They also demand for parity in taxation among companies, partnerships and limited liability partnerships. "This is going to be an interim budget but at least there may be some indications of full-budget benefits. There may be some concession to be offered to individual taxpayers under section 87A under which the overall tax exemption limit may be increased to Rs 8 lakh from now Rs 7 lakh, inclusive of rebates," All India Federation of Tax Practitioners national president Narayan Jain said. Bharat Chamber of Commerce president N G Khaitan said there is a need for a long-term taxation policy and parity in taxation among companies, partnerships and limited liability ...

Assam CM unveils scheme to assist 4 mn women to become micro-entrepreneurs

Asserting that all welfare programmes of Assam will be linked to population control measures, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday announced a scheme to develop 40 lakh self-help-group (SHG) members as rural micro-entrepreneurs and help them become 'lakhpati baidos (elder sister)'. The scheme, 'Mukhya Mantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyan', will be implemented at an estimated cost of Rs 4,000 crore and offered to those SHG members who are willing to undertake a personal business plan along with their group activity, the chief minister said at a press conference here. Sarma also said Assam is following a policy to control the state's population growth. "All our welfare schemes will be linked to population control measures for the benefit of our mothers and sisters", he said. Speaking on the entrepreneurship scheme, he said each eligible woman will be provided with Rs 35,000 over three years in their endeavour to become 'lakhpati baidos'. Over the next two years, each beneficiary

L'Oreal heir Francoise Meyers becomes first woman with $100 bn fortune

The milestone came as shares of L'Oreal SA, the beauty products empire founded by her grandfather, rose to a record high, with the stock set for its best year since 1998

Venture capital funds backing fewer women startups than men-led ones: Irani

Union Minister Smriti Irani on Friday hit out at venture capital funds for not backing women-led innovative startups, and instead taking bets on entities founded by men. The Union Minister for Women and Child Development said there are many women innovators in science and technology, but rued that their strides are not getting translated into commercial ventures. "Even today, risk taking by VCs for women-led initiatives which are based on innovation is far lower as compared to those by men," Irani said, addressing an event organised by MentorMyBoard. One has to check how many women do not become a part of the corporate boardrooms despite being innovative, she said. Irani acknowledged that her recent statement in Parliament opposing period leaves for women has caused an "uproar", but stuck to her stance saying allowing so will have deep concerns on privacy. "Can you imagine a scenario where the HR head of your company knows your menstrual cycle every month. Can you imagine the scen

Securing funding major challenge for women entrepreneurs, say founders

Securing funding is a major challenge for women entrepreneurs along with balancing the demands of entrepreneurship with traditional gender roles and expectations, say women business leaders. Creating an inclusive work environment and addressing key areas like easy entry into workforce, financial autonomy and healthcare would help women lead and make an impact, women entrepreneurs said on the occasion of Women Entrepreneur Day. According to Assiduus Global CEO & founder and Niti Aayog advisor Somdutta Singh, securing funding is a significant challenge for women entrepreneurs along with balancing the demands of entrepreneurship with traditional gender roles and expectations. Historically, many business networks have been male-dominated, making it harder for women to access key connections and opportunities. I am constantly working to create a diverse and inclusive work environment. I am involved in building networks that support women in entrepreneurship. "I am always advocating for

Women accorded top priority under PM Mudra Yojana scheme, says Sitharaman

Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday said women entrepreneurs are accorded first priority under the Centre's flagship Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana scheme which offers financial assistance to beneficiaries. Distributing sanction letters to beneficiaries under the PM SVANidhi Se Samriddhi programme which offers loans to street vendors, here, she said officials of the municipalities should identify the uncovered street vendors and help them avail benefits of this scheme. SVANidhi Se Samriddhi is an additional component of the PMSVANidhi scheme to facilitate access to eight central government schemes to eligible PM SVANidhi beneficiaries and their family members for their holistic development and socio-economic upliftment. Recalling the launch of Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile Trinity, Sitharaman said through the JAM Trinity, AADHAR card was provided to a beneficiary after which he or she can open a bank account and directly the financial aid from the Centre

Women-led MSMEs avail Rs 430 crore in loans in FY2023: Impact report

Nearly Rs 1,900 crore in loans were distributed to MSMEs, with women-led businesses making up 24% of the loans disbursed

Madhya Pradesh is emerging as a hotbed for start-ups led by women

Women entrepreneurs run 1,140 of the state's more than 2,600 registered start-ups, according to data shared by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) department