Women Entrepreneurship

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The increasing presence of women as entrepreneurs has led to the change in the demographic characteristics of business and economic growth of the country. Women-owned businesses enterprises are playing a prominent role in society inspiring others and generating more employment opportunities in the country.

There is need for sustainable growth of women entrepreneurs, to promote a balanced growth in the country, and Startup India is committed to strengthening the women entrepreneurship ecosystem, through policies and initiatives, and creation of enabling networks.

States with Startup Policies for Women

Incentive

The monthly allowance for startups with Women as Founder/Co-Founde shall be INR 20,000 per month for a period of 1 year. Link

Incentives

Startups with women entrepreneurs will be provided 100% reimbursement for the exhibition stall rental cost for participating in the notified national/international exhibitions limited to 9 sq.m. of space. Link
All Universities in Andhra Pradesh may give 5% grace marks and 20% attendance every semester for student startup teams, which have at least one woman as a cofounder. Link

Incentive

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. Link

Incentive

Women Entrepreneurs will avail 5% additional grant/exemption/subsidy other than the limit fixed under the clauses of the policy. Link

Eligibility Criteria

Incentives shall solely be applicable to startups which are owned by women.

Incentives

Monthly Allowance of Rs. 12,000 (for a period of one year) shall be paid to the Start-ups subject to the approval of Start-up Task Force and if it fulfils any of the following conditions:

If startup is founded by Women
If at least 25% of the shareholding is held by Women
If the Women are the single largest shareholder in the Start-up

In case of the Start-ups falling under following categories the assistance for R&D/marketing/publicity shall be upto Rs. 12 lakh:-

If startup is founded by Women
If at least 25% of the shareholding is held by Women
If the Women are the single largest shareholder in the Start-up Link

Eligibility Criteria

An Entity shall be considered as a ‘Start-up’ under this policy, if it fulfils all of the following:

It is incorporated/registered within the period of last 7 years
Its turnover for any of the financial year since incorporation/ registration has not exceeded Rs. 25 Crore
The entity is not formed by splitting up or reconstruction of an existing business
It is not incorporated/ registered as a subsidiary of an existing Indian or foreign company
It is working towards innovation, development or improvement of products/processes/services Or if it is a scalable business model with a high potential of employment generation or wealth creation
It is incorporated / registered in Jammu and Kashmir
Or employees atleast 50 percent of its permanent workforce from Jammu and Kashmir

Incentives

Assistance at Idea / Prototype stage: The monthly allowance shall be Rs.22,000/-, if the startup Founder is Women. In such a case, Woman should have at least 50% equity in the startup entity

Assistance once the idea / Concept gets commercialized: The monthly allowance shall be Rs.22,000/-, if the startup Founder is Women. In such a case, Woman should have at least 50% equity in the startup entity

Link

Incentives

Upon approval from Start-up Council, If the Startup is being operated by women entrepreneurs in any of the focus sectors or belongs to Category-A district of Uttarakhand MSME Policy 2015, the marketing assistance allowance will be Rs 7.5 lakhs. This assistance will be provided only once to the Start-Up. Link

Eligibility Criteria

The date of incorporation / registration is not prior to seven years. In case an entity is engaged in the biotech sector, the date of its incorporation / registration should not be prior to ten years
Its annual turnover does not exceed Rs. 25.00 crore for any preceding financial year
Such an entity should not be an extension of existing family business; or formed by splitting up or reconstruction of a business already in existence
It is incorporated/registered in Uttarakhand or employs at least 50 percent of its total qualified workforce from Uttarakhand, which shall not include contract employees
Changes / modification made by Government of India from time to time in connection with the aforementioned conditions specified in Sno 1 to 3 will also be applicable to State of Uttarakhand.

Incentives

A separate corpus out of Innovation Fund, Leap of Faith Revolving Fund and Venture capital Fund of more than Rs. 100 crore will be earmarked for women innovators in order to motivate and empower women entrepreneurs in the State. Link

Incentives

All New & Existing Units can avail a rental/ Lease reimbursement on the built up office space lease /rent, up to50% of the Annual Lease Rentals (60% in cases where 30% or more of the employees are women) for a period of 2 years. Link

Eligibility Criteria

30% or more of the employees should be Women

Incentives

The Nodal Institute as defined in Para 1.2 and recognized by SLIC as per procedure laid dowm, will be eligible for reimbursement of 75% of expenses incurred for organizing promotional event for Women Entrepreneurs once in a year to the extent of maximum Rs. 5.00 Lakh
Rs. 10,000/- per month will be provided to the innovator as sustenance allowance for one year whose project is recommended by institution as approved by committee. If 50% or more Promotors/Founders are women then, the Startup will get Rs. 12,000 per month for a period of one year as Sustenance Allowance. Link

Eligibility Criteria

The Nodal Institute as defined in Para 1.2 and recognized by SLIC as per procedure laid dowm
The beneficiary Nodal Institution will not be eligible for any other Government of Gujarat scheme for the same purpose
50% or more Promotors/Founders should be women

Incentives

4.2 Adopting guideline of Model Shops and Establishment Bill 2016

The State shall enact the provisions suggested in the bill to boost the employment opportunities for all and specifically for women. The establishment other than manufacturing units, employing ten or more people would be covered under this rule.
a) This will include freedom to operate 365 days in a year and opening/closing time of establishment, women to be permitted during night shift, if the provision of shelter, rest room, ladies toilet, adequate protection of their dignity and transportation etc. exists

4.5 Night Shift for women employee

General permission shall be available for 3-shift operations with women working in the night for startups, subject to such units taking the prescribed precautions in respect of safety and security of employees
Please click here to access Haryana Entrepreneur and Startup Policy : Link

Incentives

A programme would be chalked out by HPCED to send selected Startups, college and school students, faculty etc.,with the approval of EC 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. Provision shall be made to ensure 1/3rd representation of women entrepreneurs, Students and teachers etc Link

Incentives

A reimbursement of 50%, on lease rentals up to INR 5 lakhs per annum for a maximum period of three years, for the plug-and-play type built up office space leased by a Startup in STPI, IT/multi-purpose SEZs/IT Parks (Additional 5% for SC/ST, Women and Divyang enterprise)
A reimbursement of 30% of the amount paid to Internet Service Provider (ISP) shall be reimbursed; up to INR 60000/annually on furnishing self-certified bills for 5 years since registration of the Startup (Additional 5% for SC/ST, Women and Divyang enterprise)
A reimbursement of 30% of the amount paid to Electricity dis-coms, shall be reimbursed, up to INR 60000/annually on furnishing self-certified bills (Additional 5% for SC/ST, Women and Divyang enterprise)
The selected individual or the group shall be provided with a stipend of INR 8,500/- (INR 12,000/- for women) per group member (maximum 3) per month for up to 12 months for individual or group of individuals with an innovative idea/concept Link

Eligibility Criteria

Solely applicable to Startups which are fully owned by anyone person of this category (SC/ST/Women/ Differently-abled) or group/mix of the person defined in this category only

Incentives

A reimbursement of 50%, on lease rentals up to INR 5 lakhs per annum for a maximum period of three years, for the plug-and-play type built up office space leased by a Startup in STPI, IT/multi-purpose SEZs/IT Parks (Additional 5% for SC/ST, Women and Divyang enterprise)
A reimbursement of 30% of the amount paid to Internet Service Provider (ISP) shall be reimbursed; up to INR 60000/annually on furnishing self-certified bills for 5 years since registration of the Startup (Additional 5% for SC/ST, Women and Divyang enterprise)
A reimbursement of 30% of the amount paid to Electricity dis-coms, shall be reimbursed, up to INR 60000/annually on furnishing self-certified bills (Additional 5% for SC/ST, Women and Divyang enterprise)
The selected individual or the group shall be provided with a stipend of INR 8,500/- (INR 12,000/- for women) per group member (maximum 3) per month for up to 12 months for individual or group of individuals with an innovative idea/concept Link

Eligibility Criteria

Solely applicable to Startups which are fully owned by anyone person of this category (SC/ST/Women/ Differently-abled) or group/mix of the person defined in this category only

Incentives

All Government supported incubators shall be mandated to allocate minimum 10% seats for Startups with women co-Founders on preferential basis
Provision shall be made to ensure 1/3rd representation of women entrepreneurs, students and teachers etc. in programme to send selected Startups, college and school students, faculty etc., 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. Link

Incentives

Women Startup Summit is an KSUM initiative to encourage aspiring women professionals to take up the entrepreneurial journey and develop an inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystem in Kerala. The summit brings together successful women leaders, Startup Founders, policy makers and aspiring women entrepreneurs at a common platform to share their experiences, aspirations and celebrate success stories. The summit has designed in such a way that aspiring women entrepreneurs and Startup Founders will gain amazingly new insights through knowledge-based sessions, inspiring stories and one-on-one interaction
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 Link

Eligibility Criteria

All MSMEs engaged in manufacturing activities are eligible for assistance
Investment in land, buildings, plant & machinery, electricity, essential office equipment, pollution control devices and other fixed assets are eligible

Incentives

Government of Maharashtra will provide preference to early stage Startups (up to 3 years from date of incorporation) and FinTech Startups with women Founders to avail of the above incentives. It will earmark a certain proportion of the total fund for the benefit of such Startups:

Incentive Fund for Top-rated Startups
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

Link

Incentives

Neighbourhood handholding and mentroing support for rural Startups and Startups by women entrepreneurs through Facilitation Centres. Link

Eligibility Criteria

Startup must be registered with the State Government

Incentives

Special efforts will be made to identify women entrepreneurs in rural and urban Nagaland
Special efforts will be made to create awareness among women entrepreneurs on various State & Centrally sponsored schemes
25% of funds will be dedicated to promote Startups by Women Entrepreneurs in the state Link

Eligibility Criteria

Startup must be registered with the state government

Incentives

Monthly allowance of ` 10,000 shall be granted to per person upto a maximum of 5 persons. If the Founder or Co-Founder of the Startup happens to be Women/SC/PH/Transgender, monthly allowance of ` 15,000 shall be granted Link

Incentives

In order to help youth of the State and develop them into entrepreneurs, IKG Punjab Technical University in partnership with State Government will set up Startup Fund of Rs. 100 crores, which will be used for promoting incubation centres, seed money for Startups, scale up funding and other support to the Startup units. 25% funds will be dedicated to promote Startups by SC and Women entrepreneurs
Interest subsidy @ 5% pa only to SC Entrepreneur/ Women Entrepreneur subject to maximum of Rs. 10 lakh per year for 3 years
Annual award of Rs. 3 lakh per unit for excellence in productivity, quality, export for Women Enterprises. Link

Incentives

INR 500 cr. Bhamashah Techno fund for Startups. INR 100 cr. from this fund has been earmarked for women entrepreneurs Link

Incentives

Prioritize by and for women Startups
Training and sensitization programmes for women entrepreneurs
Startups with a women Founders or co-Founders shall be supported for product development and marketing/publicity/participation in fairs and exhibitions
Priority in allotment of industrial plots in industrial estates for women Startups Link

Eligibility Criteria

Startups addressing issues related to women shall also be eligible

Incentives

Special Neighbourhood handholding and mentoring support to rural Startups and Startup by women entrepreneurs through MSME Facilitation Centres (MFC) Link

Eligibility Criteria

Women Enterprise - an enterprise headed by a Women where majority stake is also owned by a Women

Incentives

The UT Administration will facilitate and provide special and additional incentives to Women Entrepreneurs. Specific training courses will also be introduced
Measure to encourage Women participation would include additional components in subsidy schemes and preference in industrial plot allotment Link