SAMARTH – Special Entrepreneurship Promotion Drive for Women

Women’s Contribution to the Economy
Rural women are the true torchbearers for social, economic, and environmental reform and can lead to a “New India”. Agriculture employs over 80% of rural women in India. With the 'Azaadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav,' India is honouring and enjoying the progressive 75 years since independence, and promulgating the objective of warranting women as "Empowered Women Empowered Nation. Through government beneficiary programmes, rural women now have access to education, productive resources, capacity building, skill development, healthcare, and a variety of livelihood options.

Women account for nearly 30% of the overall workforce and 3% of self-employed individuals. Having said that, putting the future of business in the hands of women opens chances not just for themselves but also for others. Women are the embodiment of love, passion, duty, and beauty, and their energy must be channelled into resource management.

Importance of Skill Development Among Women
The government and its agency partners have taken a variety of steps to ensure that the skill development system for women is implemented effectively. Women's empowerment has been greatly influenced by skill development. It has altered the perception of women in the workforce. The importance of skill development is highlighted below.

• In today's globalised world, skill development is an essential factor that improves employability.
• Education and skill development may contribute to industrial growth, economic diversification, innovation, technical advancement, and country’s overall development.
• Quality education and training are widely recognised as essential components in dismantling the poverty ecosystem.
• Many companies favour competent workers over less skilled workers because skilled workers have more opportunities for advancement and can contribute to the company’s success like proficient workers. Skills boost productivity and enhance the quality of work, resulting in more substantial outcomes.

In order to help women acquire these skills and empower them, the government and the Ministry of MSME have come up with various initiatives such as Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, Mahila Udyam Nidhi Scheme and SAMART- a special entrepreneurship promotion drive for women.

What is SAMARTH?
Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Mr. Narayan Rane, and Minister of State for MSME, Mr. Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma, launched a Special Entrepreneurship Promotion Drive for Women, "SAMARTH", in New Delhi on the occasion of International Women's Day 2022. This drive aims to help women become independent through self-employment. In FY 2022–23, the Ministry of MSME will focus on providing skill development and market development assistance to women, with over 7,500 women applicants from rural and sub-urban regions being trained.

The following benefits will be offered to prospective and current women entrepreneurs under the SAMARTH initiative:

• Around 20% of seats in free skill development programmes offered under the Ministry's skill development plans will be reserved for women.
• Under the Ministry's marketing assistance programmes, 20% of MSME Business Delegations sent to local and foreign exhibits would be devoted to women-owned MSMEs.
• During 2022–23, NSIC will give a special 20% discount on the yearly processing fee on the following business schemes:
  • Single Point Registration Scheme
  • Raw Material Assistance and Bill Discounting
  • Tender Marketing
  • B2B Portal msmemart.com

• Udyam registration has launched a special drive to register women-owned MSMEs.
• Thousands of women will have the opportunity to advertise their products at national and international shows.

MSME Sector and Women
The MSME sector provides a plethora of opportunities for women; the Ministry of MSME, through its schemes and initiatives, is constantly working to develop an entrepreneurship culture among women by providing several additional benefits for women in the schemes that it implements. As gender equality becomes increasingly important across the world, the MSME ministry is focusing on empowering women further. Women entrepreneurs have initiated 1.38 lakh projects under the Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) Scheme since January 23, 2019. These projects account for around 30% of the overall initiatives funded under the PMEGP scheme.

Initiatives implemented by the government to help women establish businesses are mentioned below.

Future of Women Entrepreneurship
Gender equality in entrepreneurship has been critical in terms of generating opportunity, creativity, and development. From Ms. Vandana Luthra to Ms. Falguni Nayar, the creator of Nykaa, women have made a significant contribution to the world of business. The future of women entrepreneurship is secure, as more women seek entrepreneurship training. The Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi’s Employment Generation Programme and other programmes such as Mudra Yojana Scheme, Market Promotion and Development Scheme (MPDA) have supported large and small businesses. Women entrepreneurs, on the whole, are responsible for and will continue to be responsible for greater economic growth and stability within the country. They not only seek advancement for themselves, but also serve as role models for other women who want to establish their own businesses. This vision will contribute to social and economic development in India.