Women-owned MSMEs are underrepresented on the Udyam Registration Portal (URP)

Posted 06 Feb 2024

Updated 22 Mar 2024

2 min read

Women-owned MSMEs constitute only 20.5% of MSMEs registered on the URP since its inception in 2020.
- Also, these MSMEs contribute only 10.22% of the total turnover of Udyam-registered MSMEs.
By accelerating women's entrepreneurship, India could create over 30 million women-owned enterprises and around 150-170 million jobs (NITI Aayog).

Challenges faced by women entrepreneurs
- Poor Digital and technical skills due to low literacy rates, lack of access to mobile and Internet.
- Inadequate access to formal credit as most women do not have assets in their name to pledge as collateral.
- Most women-owned businesses are home-run, micro, and informal limiting their Market spaces.
- A disproportionate burden of care economy, limited mobility for women, etc.

Initiatives to promote women entrepreneurs
- Public Procurement Policy (2018): Mandates at least 3% annual procurement from women-owned micro and small enterprises by Central Ministries/Departments/ Undertakings.
- Credit Guarantee Scheme for Micro & Small Enterprises: Provides additional concessions and guarantees for women entrepreneurs.
- MSME Sustainable Zero Defect Zero Effect (ZED) Certification Scheme: 100% subsidy on cost of ZED Certification for Women-owned MSMEs.
- Upgradation & Mahila Coir Yojana’ under Coir Vikas Yojana program, SAMARTH initiative, etc.

Launched under Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) for formalisation of MSMEs.
Facilitates online registration for MSMEs, and generates Unique Registration Number (URN) and Udyam Assist Certificate (UAC) for MSMEs.
- URN is essential for a bank loan to an MSME to be classified under Priority Sector Lending (PSL).

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