“I come from Modgaon village in Maharashtra. For years, we lived with uncertainty never knowing if there would be work the next day, or food on the table. It was a constant struggle, and somewhere along the way, we forgot what it felt like to dream.
But a few of us women decided to change that. We came together and said let’s build something of our own. We didn’t have experience, only determination. With support from the Smile Foundation, we started a small rice mill.
We learnt everything from scratch how to run the machines, manage the accounts, and make it all work. The first time we earned from our own effort it brought tears to our eyes.
Today, we are not just earning money. We’ve found courage, dignity, and a voice we didn’t know we had. We walk with our heads held high, because we built this with our own hands, and together,”
Sundari Nilesh, Rice mill entrepreneur
In many quiet corners of rural India, a silent revolution is taking shape. It isn’t loud, and it rarely makes headlines. But it’s built on the resilience of women who are rewriting the rules of enterprise from bee farms to rice mills and cloth factories. These are women who were never short on potential, only opportunity.
For too long, the narrative of rural women entrepreneurs in India has been confined to subsistence livelihoods— informal, seasonal, and low-income. But today, a new story is emerging, one of sustainable and scalable empowerment.
Empowerment begins where opportunity is extended
“With Smile Foundation’s support, we turned beekeeping into a livelihood. From fear to confidence, we’ve come a long way. Today, we earn, educate our children, care for our families, and show other women what’s possible. We never imagined we could run a business— but now, we believe in ourselves and in a better future,”
Chadramma, Beehive entrepreneur
India has no shortage of skilled women. Yet, only 20% of businesses* in the country are led by women. And most of these are small, unregistered ventures with limited scope and scale. What holds them back isn’t ambition but systemic inaccessibility. A lack of training, financial literacy, mentorship, and formal support continues to shut women out of meaningful entrepreneurial opportunities.
This is not just a gender issue— it’s an economic one.
The untapped potential of women entrepreneurs represents a significant loss to local economies and national development goals.
Where do India’s women entrepreneurs stand?
According to a 2023 NITI Aayog report*, only 14% of Indian women are engaged in entrepreneurial activities and even fewer in formal sectors. The barriers are steep:
- Limited access to institutional credit
- Inadequate digital infrastructure
- Lack of gender-sensitive support systems
- Social norms that restrict decision-making and ownership
Despite multiple government schemes, the ground reality remains tough. Women know where they want to go— but the system often lacks the roadmaps to take them there.
Key challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in India
Women entrepreneurs in India represent a significant yet underutilised segment of the economic landscape. Despite growing awareness and policy efforts, women still face systemic barriers on their entrepreneurial journey. From financial exclusion to socio-cultural biases, the challenges are complex and deeply entrenched. Understanding these challenges is essential to designing effective interventions. Below are some of the key structural and societal barriers faced by women entrepreneurs across India.
- Limited accessibility to financial schemes
Despite the presence of government and institutional financial schemes for women entrepreneurs, access remains a major hurdle. Women often lack the resources or networks to navigate the system effectively. - Collateral and credit barriers
Banks and financial institutions frequently require collateral, which many women do not possess or have legal ownership over. Creditworthiness is often questioned, reinforcing financial exclusion. - Complex and bureaucratic processes
Application procedures for loans and schemes are often lengthy, technical, and not user-friendly. Documentation and verification requirements often create extra barriers for first-time women entrepreneurs. - Lack of structured mentorship
Women entrepreneurs frequently operate without access to industry mentors, peer networks, or professional guidance. The absence of mentorship limits their ability to scale, innovate, or navigate regulatory frameworks. - Inconsistent institutional and community support
Support systems are fragmented across institutions, and the continuity of assistance is often uncertain and unreliable. Many schemes and interventions are short-term or lack proper follow-up mechanisms. - Gender bias and societal stereotypes
Gender bias manifests in financial institutions, corporate boardrooms, and local community interactions. Women often face scepticism or dismissal, undermining their business credibility and decision-making authority. - Lack of real autonomy
In many cases, women are listed as business owners on paper, while male family members retain operational control undermining genuine empowerment and limiting their entrepreneurial agency. - Need for systemic redesign
Addressing these challenges requires a shift from surface-level initiatives to structural reforms. Policies must be redesigned to ensure equitable access, inclusion, and sustained opportunity for women in entrepreneurship.
Strategic interventions for women entrepreneurs in India
Behind every woman who dreams of starting her own business in India lies a complex web of challenges— but also a powerful potential waiting to be unlocked. While systemic barriers persist, thoughtfully designed and compassionately delivered strategic interventions can spark meaningful and lasting change.
1. Government schemes with transformative potential
Schemes like Stand-Up India, the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), and the Mahila Samman Savings Certificate are policies that represent the promise of financial independence, dignity, and opportunity for millions of women.
But for many women, that promise remains just out of reach. The forms are lengthy, the steps confusing, the language bureaucratic. Picture a woman in a rural district, holding a printed government scheme in her hands with no one to help her navigate the maze.
2. Digital and financial literacy: A critical lifeline
In today’s world, reading a bank statement, using a digital payment app, or filing a GST return online isn’t optional, it’s a necessity. But countless women entrepreneurs still lack access to these basic tools. Many are forced to rely on others—often men—for financial transactions, leaving them vulnerable and dependent.
Equipping women with digital and financial literacy is about restoring that lost control. When a woman can manage her money, track her income, or apply for a loan from her phone, she doesn’t just grow a business— she reclaims control over her life.
3. CSR–NGO partnerships: Bridging policy and practice
At the grassroots level, CSR–NGO partnerships play a unique and irreplaceable role. These organisations are often the only ones walking shoulder-to-shoulder with women, village to village, family to family helping them navigate loan applications, understand government schemes, and build the self-belief that sustains entrepreneurship.
NGOs for women in India such as Smile Foundation are not just facilitators. We work to bridge between ambition and achievement. A well-designed CSR programme, implemented through a trusted NGO, can spell the difference between a woman giving up or launching a successful enterprise.
These partnerships also bring flexibility, empathy, and adaptability— qualities large institutions often lack. They can plug gaps in last-mile delivery, offer mentoring, handhold during crises, and celebrate the everyday victories that may never make headlines but are life-changing on the ground.
Swabhiman model: Bridging the divide for women entrepreneurs
Smile Foundation’s Swabhiman Women Entrepreneurship Programme is rooted in the belief that true empowerment stems from the convergence of skills, opportunity, and sustained support. The initiative is designed to uplift underserved women, particularly those from marginalised communities, by enabling them to become economically self-reliant and socially confident.
The programme offers:
- Integrated skill training tailored to rural contexts
- Micro-enterprise incubation with ongoing mentorship
- Linkages to formal finance and markets
- Community-based mobilisation that builds trust and ownership
The outcomes are measurable: rising incomes, improved health and education outcomes, and increased agency for women at the household and community level.
In 2023-24 alone, the initiative supported more than 1, 90,000 women across the country.
Where the system stops, social investment can step in
Rural women entrepreneurs don’t seek charity, they seek partnership.
They are determined, resourceful, and ready to lead change within their communities. What they need is access to opportunities, visibility for their efforts, and consistent support to sustain their journey. This is where corporate social responsibility can truly make a difference— not as a one-time intervention, but as a long-term investment in women-led transformation.
Smile Foundation’s Swabhiman initiative offers corporates a credible platform to align their CSR goals with inclusive, grassroots development. Through locally relevant vocational training combined with financial and digital literacy, Swabhiman equips women to build and manage sustainable enterprises. The programme cultivates leadership, strengthens life skills, and builds critical market linkages ensuring that economic empowerment goes hand in hand with social mobility.
By partnering with Smile Foundation, your organisation can move the needle on gender equity and inclusive growth supporting women to rise, families to thrive, and communities to flourish. Together, we can turn potential into progress.
Sources: NITI Aayog, Decoding Government support to women entrepreneurs in India.
