ROLE OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS IN THE INDIA

 

In India, women dominate the micro enterprise sector both in rural and urban areas. According to the central statistical authority women account for close to 70 per cent of the micro enterprises in India are run by women. The role of women entrepreneurs can be explained from the following points

1. Employment Generation:

 It implies that women entrepreneurs not only establish their enterprise, but provide job to others. Women entrepreneurship is about women's position in the society and their role as entrepreneurs in the same society.

 It can be understood in two ways, namely, at the individual level (number of self-employed) and at the firm level (number of firms owned by women and their economic impact). In this way, woman entrepreneurs have an important impact on the economy in terms of their ability to create jobs for themselves as well as for others.

2. Economic Development: 

It signifies that women entrepreneur contribute to the gross domestic product of the country by establishing enterprises and producing goods and services. Due to their entrepreneurial activity, women entrepreneurs bring dynamism in market. In this way, they also help in increasing the national income of the country.

3. Better Utilization of Resources: 

It implies that the involvement of women in industrial development ensure the effective utilization of all available resources (labor, raw materials, capital).

4. Capital formation:

 Entrepreneurs mobilize the idle savings of the public through the issue of industrial securities. The rate of capital formation increases, which is essential for rapid economic growth.

5. Improved Quality of Life: 

It implies that women entrepreneurs are now economically independent and take decisions independently. They are now capable of upbringing their children according to their wish. They are providing quality education to their children.  They not only improve their living standards, but also the living standards of others by providing them the means of earning.

6. Balanced Regional Development: 

Women entrepreneurs in India are to remove regional disparities in economic development. They set up industries in backward areas to avail of the resources concessions and subsidies offered by government

7. Innovation: 

Innovation is the key to entrepreneurship. As an innovator, the entrepreneur assumes the role of a pioneer and an industrial leader. Entrepreneurs have contributed many innovations in developing new products and in the existing products and services. All these have resulted in economic development by way of generating employment, more income etc.,

 

FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR INCREASING FEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN INDIA

 In spite of the growing number of female entrepreneurs, the share of female entrepreneurs is still significantly low when compared to their participation rate. Several factors responsible for increasing the level of female entrepreneurship in India:

1. Nature of Entrepreneurship: 

Women enter into entrepreneurial activity because regular employment does not provide them with the flexibility, control or challenge offered by business ownership.

2. Empowerment:

 Indian women are becoming more empowered now-adays. Legislations are being progressively drafted to offer them more opportunities at various levels.

 3. Social Conditions: 

For women, in particular, the relatively high involvement is necessary. Entrepreneurship indicates that self-employment is used as a way to circumvent(avoid) institutional and cultural constraints with respect to female employment, as well as a way to provide supplemental family income.

4. Literacy and Education: Increased levels of education have played a crucial role in initiating the process of entrepreneurship.

5. Multitask Oriented: Women are known for juggling many tasks at the same time and still producing excellent results. A woman can talk on the phone, open and read her email and schedule what else she needs to finish for the rest of the day all at the same time. Men have more trouble with this multitasking thing; therefore sometimes they miss many opportunities.

6. Being Patient with the Process: 

This is an extremely important attribute for entrepreneurs to have. Too often we hear of visionary entrepreneurs who tried to start their businesses and after a few months gave up. Very often we find these entrepreneurs gave up on their dreams too soon. They became impatient with the process. Women know naturally that you must wait in order to receive positive outcomes.

7. Branding and Marketing Themselves: 

Women are natural marketers. They are so passionate and enthusiastic about what they choose to do that they just do not stop talking about it. They don't forget to emphasize the benefits of their services to their potential customers. They understand how to emphasize the positive.

8. Collaborator: 

Women entrepreneurs are becoming more and more successful because they are natural collaborators and love doing project together. When they find likeminded women whom they like and think they can accomplish something with by combining their talents they do it.

9. Structural Shift: One of the primary drivers is a structural shift. Women are now a greater part of the economic make-up of society; there are more women in the workforce. They are resourceful, leaving the workforce to stay home and raise a family, re-entering when the kids are grown or working a flex schedule when their kids go to school.

10. It's the Blend: 

One of the biggest reasons women entrepreneurs are now in the forefront is their desire to blend career and life ambitions. They put their passions into practice and it shines through in entrepreneurial endeavors. For them it's not just a job, it's a significant part of who they are.

11. Relating to Customers' Needs:

 One of the biggest reasons women entrepreneurs are so successful is they are more conscious of their customers' needs. Men for the most part are not customers they're consumers. It is the big difference.

12. Integrity of Relationships: 

Women's ability to nurture the whole relationship is what makes them great as entrepreneurs. They naturally listen to understand, so they can connect across business boundaries to give solid integrity to relationships.

13. Resourcefulness of Women: 

There are a growing number of work-at home moms starting a business from their homes while taking care of their families..

14. Women are Social: Entrepreneurs now have to be engaged in social media to be successful. By nature, women are social. They can leverage social media in ways that can help jumpstart new businesses quickly and cheaply. Whether it is engaging customers via Twitter, blog, forum or Facebook, they are good at gathering people and starting conversations.

 

SUGGESTIONS

 There are the few suggestions for the development of women entrepreneurs:

1. Women should be considered as a specific target group for all developments.

2. Government should provide better educational facilities and schemes.

3. More Governmental schemes should be launched to motivate women entrepreneurs to engage in small scale and large-scale business ventures.

4. Adequate training programme has to be conducted for the women entrepreneur.

5. Continuous monitoring and improvement of training programmes is essential for grooming women entrepreneurs.

6. Making provision of marketing and sales assistance from government part.

 7. To encourage more passive women entrepreneurs the Women training programme should be organised that taught to recognize psychological needs and express them.

8. The financial institutions should provide more working capital assistance both for small

CONCLUSION: 

In the majority of women operate their medium and small enterprises under very adverse conditions. Not only is it difficult for them to find premises,  markets for their products, access information and credit, but they also have limited access to training especially in the rural areas. Their educational levels are low, they are responsible for all the domestic chores and they have to seek permission from their family members to travel to trade fairs or for training, even if they do want to grow their enterprises. 

Women entrepreneurs need to be better organised in to women entrepreneurs Association which help identify higher potential business opportunities, develop markets for their products, improve product quality and marketing skills, practice good financial management.