New Delhi, Mar 10 (KNN) Minister of State for Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Shobha Karandlaje, informed Parliament that more than 3.07 crore women-led enterprises have been registered on the Udyam Registration Portal and Udyam Assist Platform as of February 28, 2026.
Credit Support and Financial Incentives
To support women-led micro and small enterprises, the government is implementing the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Micro and Small Enterprises through the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE).
Under the scheme, loans extended to women-led enterprises receive 90 percent credit guarantee coverage, compared to 75 percent for other borrowers, along with a 10 percent concession in the guarantee fee, enabling collateral-free credit access.
Skill Development and Capacity Building
The government is also providing capacity-building support through the PM Vishwakarma Yojana, which offers basic skill training (5–7 days) and advanced training (15 days or more) with stipend support.
The programme includes modules on entrepreneurship, financial literacy, digital literacy and use of modern tools, along with marketing support such as onboarding beneficiaries on e-commerce platforms and branding assistance.
Additionally, under the Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI), artisans receive cluster-based training, digital marketing support, design development and technology upgradation. The scheme also facilitates participation in workshops, exposure visits and onboarding on digital marketplaces.
Measures to Increase Women’s Participation
To further increase women’s participation in MSME activities, the government has undertaken several initiatives. These include special drives to register women-owned MSMEs, and a mandate under the Public Procurement Policy for Micro and Small Enterprises requiring ministries, departments and central public sector enterprises to procure at least 3 percent of their annual purchases from women entrepreneurs.
Other initiatives include the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), which provides credit-linked subsidies for establishing micro-enterprises, with around 40 percent of beneficiaries being women. Women beneficiaries under the scheme are eligible for higher subsidy levels of up to 35 percent.
Further support is provided through programmes such as the Mahila Coir Yojana for skill development in the coir sector, and through the Yashasvini Campaign, which aims to raise awareness about MSME schemes and provide continued handholding and capacity-building support for women entrepreneurs.
(KNN Bureau)
