Women entrepreneurs in India - emerging issues and challenges

Women entrepreneurship is gaining importance in India in the wake of economic liberalization and globalization. The policy and institutional framework for developing entrepreneurial skills, providing vocation education and training has widened the horizon for economic empowerment of women. However, women constitute only one third of the economic enterprises. There exist a plethora of successful business women entrepreneurs both in social and economic fields in India. They are performing well. Government of India has also introduced National Skill Development Policy and National Skill Development Mission in 2009 in order to provide skill training, vocational education and entrepreneurship development to the emerging work force. However, entrepreneurship development and skill training is not the only responsibility of Government and therefore other stakeholders need to shoulder the responsibility. In Hindu scriptures, woman has been described as the embodiment of shakti. But in real life she is treated as Abla. Women are leaving the workforce in droves in favor of being at home. Not to be a homemaker, but as job-making entrepreneurs. The increasing presence of women in the business field as entrepreneurs has changed the demographic characteristics of business and economic growth of the country. Women-owned businesses enterprises are playing a more active role in society and the economy, inspiring academics to focus on this interesting phenomenon. This paper focuses on the problems, issues, challenges faced by women entrepreneurs, how to overcome them and to analyse policies of Indian government for and problems faced by them while pursuing their business.