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The Wind Beneath Her Wings: Funding For Women Entrepreneurs In India

Funding for women entrepreneurs continues to be a challenge globally. This 2016 year end Women’s Web report tells you the avenues to find.

The stifling gender bias that cripples Indian society has not spared the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the country as well. One look at the global Female Entrepreneurship Index of the last two years, compiled by the Washington based Global Entrepreneurship and Development Institute (GEDI), confirms that India is surely not the best place for a woman to wear the entrepreneurial hat.

Even as the number of self-employed women (many working in low-skilled jobs from home or as street vendors) has doubled to a crore over a 10-year period (2000-10), high potential women entrepreneurs, who through job creation and widening of markets can boost economic growth, remain a rarity.

In January this year, the entrepreneurial ecosystem of India received a significant boost with the launch of the Start-Up India scheme. Further incentives focusing exclusively on Women and SC/ST entrepreneurs were added by instigating the Stand Up India scheme in April. Despite these efforts to make India Inc inclusive, women entrepreneurs in India still remain a minority compared to their male counterparts.

So what is stopping the women in the country to achieve the best of their entrepreneurial acumen? The reasons are many. Limited access to external funds and business networks remain major challenges to growth, concede many women entrepreneurs who have been able to mark their presence in the entrepreneurial scenario of the country.

What is the outlook on funding for women entrepreneurs in India? What sources of funds exist today, and what support can we expect in the next few years for worthy start-ups led by women?

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This exclusive article about funding for Indian women entrepreneurs explains the following:

How do gender stereotypes affect funding decisions for women-run organizations and businesses?

What are some significant bank loan schemes that support women entrepreneurs?

Details of the Government’s Stand Up India scheme that supports SC/ST women entrepreneurs.

Handy details of some Venture and Private capital sources of funding that have significantly invested in women owned businesses.

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About the Author

Sulagna Dasgupta

A writer by choice, a reader by passion. Post-graduate student of English literature, Sulagna is a Feminist who dreams of a rational utopia where there will be abundant celebration of individualism. read more...

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