
Women Entrepreneurship in India
The increasing presence of women as entrepreneurs has led to significant business and economic growth in the country. Women-owned business enterprises are playing a prominent role in society by generating employment opportunities in the country, bringing in demographic shifts and inspiring the next generation of women founders.
With a vision to promote the sustainable development of women entrepreneurs for balanced growth in the country, Startup India is committed towards strengthening women entrepreneurship in India through initiatives, schemes, creation of enabling networks and communities and activating partnerships among diverse stakeholders in the startup ecosystem.
States with Startup Policies for Women

Andaman and Nicobar Islands
The state offers monthly allowances to women led startups, wherein a women founder/co-founder with at least 50 per cent equity in the Startup entity and meeting other criteria as prescribed in the Notification for Startup Funding & Incentives would be eligible. Read more

Andhra Pradesh
The state offers permission for women to work in multiple shifts, subsidy on power bills, subsidy on lease rentals, reimbursements for setting stalls in notified national/ international exhibitions, investment subsidy on fixed capital amongst other incentives to women entrepreneurs.Read more

Assam
The state offers a special one-time incentive of Rs. 5,000 per woman candidate hired subject to an upper limit of Rs. 1 lakh per startup for a period of 3 years.Read more

Bihar
The state offers grant/exemptions/subsidy to women entrepreneurs.Read more

Jammu and Kashmir
The state offers monthly allowance and assistance for research and development, marketing and publicity to startups with women founders post meeting the eligibility criteria.Read more

Odisha
The state offers monthly allowance at ideation/ prototype stage and after the idea get commercialised to women entrepreneurs post meeting the eligibility criteria.Read more

Uttarakhand
The state offers allowance for marketing assistance to women entrepreneurs post meeting the eligibility criteria.Read more

Chhattisgarh
The state offers a separate corpus out of Innovation Fund, Leap of Faith Revolving Fund and Venture capital Fund of more than Rs. 100 crores will be earmarked for women innovators in order to motivate and empower women entrepreneurs in the state.Read more

Goa
The state offers rental/lease reimbursement to all new and existing units having 30 percent women employees in the venture. Read more

Gujarat
The state offers monthly sustenance allowance to women founders post meeting the eligibility criteria.Read more

Haryana
The state offers permission for women to work in multiple shifts in startups amongst other things.Read more

Himachal Pradesh
The state offers launching a program to send startups, college and school students and faculty to leading Startup destinations in the country and abroad for getting exposure as well as an opportunity to meet and converse with industry leaders, thinkers and innovators. The state offers provision to ensure 1/3rd representation of women entrepreneurs, students and teachers etc.Read more

Jharkhand
The state offers reimbursement on lease rentals, amount paid to Internet Service Providers, electricity dis-coms, amongst other incentives to women entrepreneurs post meeting the eligibility criteria. Read more

Karnataka
The state shall mandate all Government supported incubators to allocate minimum 10% seats for Startups with women co-Founders on preferential basis. Read more

Kerala
Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) supports women Startups with a soft loan scheme for an amount limited to Rs.15 Lakhs as working capital for implementing works and projects received from the Govt. departments and Public Sector Undertakings in Kerala. For young ( 18 to 45 years) Women and SC/ST entrepreneurs, the assistance is 20% up to INR 30 lakhs. Read more

Maharashtra
The state offers Incentive Fund for Top-rated Startup, creation of Investment Fund, Reimbursement of internet and electricity charges, Reimbursement of expenditure towards hosting infrastructure, Reimbursement of State GST, Reimbursement of exhibition/global event participation fee, Incubation Space for accelerators and Startups, FinTech Corpus Fund to early stage and fintech startups with women founders. Read more

Manipur
The state offers neighbourhood hand holding and mentoring support for rural Startups and Startups by women entrepreneurs through Facilitation Centres. Startups should be registered with the state government.Read more

Nagaland
The state shall dedicate 25 per cent of total funds for startups to women led startups, registered with the state. Read more

Puducherry
The state offers monthly allowance to startups by women entrepreneurs.Read more

Punjab
The state aims at dedicating 25 percent of the total startup funds to promote Startups by Women entrepreneurs. The state shall also provide interest subsidy to women entrepreneurs in the state basis fulfilment of necessary criteria. Read more

Rajasthan
The state offers dedicated funds of INR 100 Crore out of the INR 500 crore Bhamashah Techno funds for Startups.Read more

Tamil Nadu
The state offers training and sensitization programmes, support for product development and marketing/publicity/participation in fairs and exhibitions, priority in allotment of industrial plots in industrial estates to women led startups.Read more

Telangana
The Government of Telangana has launched WE Hub- First of its kind initiative to promote & foster women entrepreneurship in the state. The organization supports women through Business Incubation, facilitating access to Government, and building forward & backward linkage in the innovation ecosystem at ZERO Cost. Read more

West Bengal
The state offers special Neighbourhood handholding and mentoring support to rural Startups and Startup by women entrepreneurs through MSME Facilitation Centres (MFC). Read more

Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu
The union territory aims to offer Specific training courses, subsidy schemes and preference in industrial plot allotment to women entrepreneurs.Read more

Tripura
The state aims to earmark 50 percent of funds for women entrepreneurs in the Venture Capital Funds being set-up by the state government as well as 50 percent reservation for women in government market stalls and shopping complexes. Read more

Ladakh
The union territory offers monthly allowance to startups having women founders/ co-founders post meeting the eligibility criteria. Read more
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Andaman and Nicobar Islands
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Andhra Pradesh
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Assam
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Bihar
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Jammu and Kashmir
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Odisha
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Uttarakhand
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Chhattisgarh
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Goa
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Gujarat
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Haryana
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Himachal Pradesh
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Jharkhand
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Karnataka
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Kerala
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Maharashtra
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Manipur
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Nagaland
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Puducherry
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Punjab
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Rajasthan
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Tamil Nadu
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Telangana
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West Bengal
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Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu
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Tripura
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Ladakh
Scheme
- Skill Upgradation and Mahila Coir Yojana
- Mahila Samriddhi Yojana
- Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP)
- Trade Related Entrepreneurship Assistance and Development (TREAD)
- Support to Training and Employment Programme for Women
- Mudra Yojana for Women/ Mahila Udhyami Yojana
- Stand-Up India
- Nai Roshni- Scheme for Leadership Development of Minority Women
- Mahila Shakti Kendra
- Nari Shakti Puraskars
- Women Scientists Scheme
- National Startup Awards
- BIRAC-TiE WInER Awards
- BIRAC Regional Techno-entrepreneurshipCentre East and North East Region (BRTC-E & NE)
- Credit Guarantee Scheme for Micro and Small Enterprises
- Self Employment Lending Schemes- Credit Line 1 - Mahila_Samridhi_Yojana
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- For any queries or feedback, reach out to us at
- women.entrepreneurship@investindia.org.in
- or our toll free number 1-800-115-565