WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS BUILDING INDIA'S DIGITAL FUTURE

This new wave of women leaders is multiplying the economic opportunities, setting innovative ideas in motion and becoming catalysts for social change

- Archana Vohra

THERE ARE approximately 63 million micro, small, and medium businesses in India, of which only around 20 per cent are owned by women. This figure has jumped by almost 7 per cent over the last ten years. While there is plenty of ground that remains to be covered, the massive digital acceleration, especially over the last 2-3 years, has unlocked a sea of new opportunities for women entrepreneurs and women-led businesses in the country.

New wave of women entrepreneurs

Latest trends from Meta platforms indicate that despite the challenges of the pandemic, a new wave of women entrepreneurs is emerging in India. From the last fiscal year, women-led micro, small and medium enterprises in India increased substantially by over 75 per cent to 859,000 units (in FY22), from 490,000 units. On Meta, we found that more than 60 per cent of Instagram businesses in India self-identify as women-owned and that nearly 50 per cent of female-led businesses on Facebook in India were set up since the start of the pandemic. Additionally, more than 45 per cent of Facebook groups related to entrepreneurship have been created by women since 2021.

Connected women key to economic growth