India Female Labour & Entrepreneurship Report

Women’s economic participation in India is expanding rapidly across employment, entrepreneurship, manufacturing, and deep-tech sectors. According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey, the Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR) surged from 23.3% in 2017–18 to 40% in 2025, with the female Worker Population Ratio climbing from 22% to 38.8%—representing approximately 20 crore employed women aged 15 and above. In business ownership, about 3.69 crore women-led micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) were registered on the Udyam platform by October 2026, comprising roughly 38% of total registrations, while over 1.07 lakh recognized startups featured at least one woman director or partner as of March 2026. Furthermore, women have become central to advanced manufacturing, making up nearly 70% of the direct shop-floor workforce in mobile phone assembly as of July 2026. This structural shift is catalyzed by targeted government initiatives driving financial inclusion, market integration, and skills development. Under the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana, women entrepreneurs secured two-thirds of the more than 57.79 crore loans sanctioned by April 2026, while the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Micro and Small Enterprises backed 30.75 lakh guarantees valued at ₹2.07 lakh crore ($23.42 billion) for female-owned firms by February 2026. On the public procurement front, women-led MSMEs secured contracts surpassing ₹28,000 crore ($3.17 billion) on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) in FY2025–26, up 27.6% year-on-year. Supported by future-skills programs like NAVYA and AI Careers for Women alongside progressive workplace protections under the four Labour Codes—including statutory maternity benefits, workplace safety norms, and equal pay provisions—these developments reinforce women-led economic growth as a core driver of Viksit Bharat 2047.