Women own 38 pc of registered MSMEs with 3.69 crore enterprises, labour force participation surge

New Delhi: About 3.69 crore registered MSMEs were women‑owned, representing about 38 per cent of all registrations, an official factsheet said on Thursday.

The women's labour force participation rate (LFPR) for those aged 15 and above rose from 23.3 per cent in 2017‑18 to 40 per cent in 2025.

Over 1.07 lakh recognised startups had at least one woman director or partner and these accounted for approximately 48 per cent of all recognised startups.

In absolute terms, an estimated 20 crore women aged 15 years and above were employed in India during 2025.

“This broader transition is being supported through policies that expand women’s access to safer workplaces, social protection, entrepreneurship, formalisation and financial opportunities,” the statement noted.

Worker Population Ratio (WPR) increased from 22 per cent for women in 2017-18 to 38.8 per cent in 2025. In absolute terms, an estimated 20 crore women aged 15 years and above were employed in India during 2025.

Women constitute nearly 70 per cent of the direct workforce in mobile phone manufacturing as of July 2026. Across the wider electronics manufacturing sector, women account for nearly 30 per cent of the workforce created over the last decade.

“Formal recognition, finance and market access provide key areas for strengthening women-led enterprises,” the statement noted.

Swavalamban Scheme supports young women from business ideation to enterprise creation through entrepreneurship training, finance and market guidance, and legal support. Selected participants also receive 21 weeks of mentorship and handholding to help develop sustainable enterprises.

The Yashasvini Campaign promoted greater participation of women in entrepreneurship by achieving gender parity on the Udyam Registration Portal and Udyam Assist Platform by 2029.

The Yashasvini Campaign had facilitated over 22 lakh women-owned MSME registrations as of July 2026. Further, total procurement from women-owned MSEs was 3.8 per cent in FY26, exceeding the 3 per cent public procurement target.

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