Dream big with these GOI Schemes for Women Founders

Dream big with these GOI Schemes for Women Founders

#MBA
Arushi PanditaUpdated on 27 Mar 2025, 12:06 PM IST

Indian women are reshaping entrepreneurship with innovative ideas and leadership. The Axis Bank Investment Behaviour Report 2024 shows that women’s ownership of industry assets has increased from 15 percent in March 2017 to 21% in December 2023, highlighting a significant shift towards financial independence among the female population.

Dream big with these GOI Schemes for Women Founders
Dream big with these GOI Schemes for Women Founders

As per an IBEF report, around 20.37 percent of Indian women are into Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), contributing over 23.3 percent to the labour force. The Indian government actively supports women entrepreneurs through various schemes, offering mentorship, financial aid, and skill development to help them expand their businesses successfully.

An online MBA degree empowers women to enhance their business education, launch new ventures, and contribute to India’s economy. It enables them to break barriers, drive innovation, and establish businesses that shape various industries. There are also various online degree courses that equip women leaders with the skills to build enterprises and lead industry growth.

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Government of India Schemes For Women Start-Up Founders In India

As per the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Government of India, Indian businesses contribute US$ 700 billion to global GDP by enhancing women's workforce participation. To support women startup founders, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry offers various schemes. The table below highlights these initiatives for women entrepreneurs in India:

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SchemeMinistryDepartmentEligibility CriteriaBenefits

Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP)

Niti Aayog

Independent entity

Existing and aspiring women entrepreneurs are eligible to apply

An aggregator platform, helps women entrepreneurs access crucial content, workshops, financial assistance, entrepreneur skilling, mentorships, and marketing assistance.

Mudra Yojana for Women/ Mahila Udhyami Yojana

Ministry of Finance

Department of Financial Services

Women entrepreneurs heading and managing any manufacturing or production business are eligible to apply

Loans up to Rs 10 lakh are provided to women entrepreneurs, without any collateral, and with low interest with flexible repayment tenure.

Mahila Samriddhi Yojana

Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment

National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation

Women from backward classes with a family income of less than Rs. 3 lakh per annum.

A microfinance scheme, with financial assistance to the cost of Rs. 1,40,000/- is provided.

Stand-Up India

Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)

Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)

- SC/ST and/or women entrepreneurs above 18 years.

- Loans are available only for first-time ventures in manufacturing, services, agri-allied, or trading sectors.

- Non-individual enterprises must have 51% ownership by SC/ST and/or women entrepreneurs.

- Borrowers must have no loan defaults.

Facilitate bank loans between Rs.10 lakh and Rs.1 Crore to at least one Scheduled Caste (SC) or Scheduled Tribe (ST) borrower and at least one woman borrower per bank branch for setting up a greenfield enterprise.

Credit Guarantee Scheme for Micro and Small Enterprises

Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises


- New and existing Micro and Small Enterprises engaged in manufacturing or service activity excluding Agriculture, and Self Help Groups (SHGs).

- Activities that come under the service sector as per MSMED Act, 2006 are eligible for coverage under the scheme.

Credit facility upto Rs 5 Lakhs at 1% interest rate is provided to women, micro enterprises and units covered in Northeast region.

Nai Roshni- Scheme for Leadership Development of Minority Women

Ministry of Minority Affairs

-

Women belonging to minority communities/ rural areas

Empowers minority women by providing knowledge, tools and techniques for interacting with Government systems, banks and other institutions at all levels.

Bharatiya Mahila Bank Business Loan

Ministry of Finance

-

- Minimum 2 years of work experience (in case of self-employed), minimum of 2 years of business continuity

- Minimum age of 21 years and maximum age for 60 years (loan completion age)

- Minimum take-home income of Rs. 25000/- per month

Helps women entrepreneurs access loans with the concession of 0.25% in interest rate.

Support to Training and Employment Programme for Women

Ministry of Women and Child Development

-

- Women aged 16 years and above across the country

The scheme provides competencies and skills that enable women to become self-employed/entrepreneurs.

Women Scientists Scheme

Ministry of Science and Technology

Department of Science and Technology

- Encourages women in S&T with career breaks to re-enter the profession.

- Qualifications: Minimum PG (M.Sc./B.Tech./MBBS) or equivalent; M.Phil/M.Tech/M.Pharm/M.VSc; Ph.D. in Basic/Applied Sciences.

- Age: 27-57 years; 5-year relaxation for SC/ST/OBC/physically challenged with proof.

- Women Scientist Scheme -B (WOS-B): S&T interventions for societal benefit.

- Women Scientist Scheme-C (WOS-C): Internship in Intellectual Property Rights for self-employment.

- Research grant (under WOS-A & WOS-B) for up to 3 years covering fellowship, equipment, travel, and consumables.

Mahila Shakti Kendra

Ministry of Women and Child Development

-

Rural women

A centrally sponsored scheme that empowers women through training and capacity building.


Also Read: Is an Online MBA the Shortcut to Executive Success? Find Out Now!

How Online MBA Empower Women Entrepreneurs Shape the Indian Economy?

An Online MBA is a powerful tool for women entrepreneurs who seek to build, manage, and scale their ventures. With over 78 universities in India offering online MBA courses, aspiring women entrepreneurs can pursue top online MBA specialisations in 2025 to gain greater expertise in designated management fields such as entrepreneurship, finance, marketing, and human resources.

With practical insights, and quality management education provided by these online MBA colleges in India, equipping women with the skills needed to innovate, secure funding, and implement growth strategies within their own ventures. This educational exposure helps women entrepreneurs overcome market challenges and expand their businesses.

As per a report by Bain & Company, women-owned enterprises have increased from 14% to 20%, which highlights the importance of management education in empowering women entrepreneurs with essential skills, strategic knowledge, and leadership capabilities to drive business growth and success.

Government-backed schemes empower women entrepreneurs in India to transform their vision into an established business. Moreover, educational opportunities such as an online MBA help women gain essential skillsets with management knowledge, encouraging them to dream big while also contributing to the country's overall development.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: How can women entrepreneurs apply for these GOI schemes?
A:

Women entrepreneurs can visit the portals of these GOI initiatives, such as WEP, and Stand-Up India, for online registration and detailed application guidelines.

Q: Is an Online MBA flexible for working women entrepreneurs?
A:

Yes, online MBA programmes offer flexible learning schedules, enabling women entrepreneurs to manage their business responsibilities alongside pursuing higher education.

Q: Can women entrepreneurs apply for multiple GOI schemes?
A:

Women entrepreneurs can explore multiple GOI schemes based on their business requirements, including financial support, mentorship, and training resources.

Q: Can an Online MBA improve business growth for women founders?
A:

Yes, an Online MBA enhances decision-making, financial and marketing skills, enabling women founders to develop innovative strategies and expand their businesses effectively.

Q: How do these GOI schemes help empower women entrepreneurs?
A:

GOI schemes empower women entrepreneurs by providing financial support, mentorship, and skill development, enabling them to manage successful businesses effectively.

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Questions related to MBA

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to MBA ?

Hello,

Both Bengal Institute of Business Studies (BIBS) and United World School of Business (UWSB) have strong placement records in Kolkata. with specific data suggesting BIBS has a slightly higher potential higher salary package. While the UWSB provides a higher placement rate.

I hope it will clear your query!!

Hello

With an NMAT score of 205, you have decent chances in good mid-tier MBA colleges.
You may get calls from NMIMS Hyderabad or Indore, but the Mumbai core is usually slightly higher.
Colleges like SDA Bocconi Asia Centre, BML Munjal, and IBS Hyderabad are realistic options.
Some reputed private B-schools may also consider you if sectional cutoffs are clear. Overall, 205 is a fair score that can lead to a solid MBA college with good planning.

You can refer to the link I am attaching for more details: CLICK HERE

CAT does not restrict eligibility based on stream. Candidates from commerce, arts, science, engineering or any other background can appear for CAT and apply to MBA programmes offered by IIMs and other top B-schools.

The basic eligibility criteria for CAT are:
You must hold a bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognised university with at least 50 percent marks (45 percent for SC, ST and PwD categories). Final-year graduation students are also eligible to apply.

Being a commerce graduate can actually be an advantage in areas such as accounting, finance, economics and business studies, especially during MBA coursework in finance, marketing and operations.

After qualifying CAT, admission depends on multiple factors including CAT percentile, academic background, work experience (if any), performance in GD, WAT and personal interview rounds. Many IIMs and B-schools follow a diverse academic background policy, which means non-engineering candidates, including commerce graduates, often receive additional weightage.

Apart from IIMs, several reputed institutes such as FMS Delhi, SPJIMR Mumbai, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad, and many state and private universities also accept CAT scores for MBA admissions.

So, as a commerce graduate, you are fully eligible to appear for CAT and pursue an MBA, provided you meet the minimum academic requirements and perform well in the selection process.

If you want, I can also help you with realistic CAT percentile targets based on your academic profile or suggest suitable MBA colleges.


Hello aspirant,

First-year MBA fees in India vary greatly, ranging from less than rupees one lakh for government/distance programs to rupees ten to twenty-five lakhs or more for elite private B-schools (such as ISB, IIMs, and XLRI). The majority of elite private institutions charge between rupees eight and twenty-five lakh for the entire two-year program, indicating that first-year expenses are substantial.

For more information, you can visit our site through following link:

https://bschool.careers360.com/articles/mba-fee-know-how-much-your-mba-will-cost-in-top-b-schools

Thank you

Hello,

Transferring mid-stream from an online MBA to an offline MBA is generally very difficult and rare, requiring a fresh application and usually withdrawal from your current program. You can apply for a new offline MBA after completing your online MBA or even while pursuing it (with caution), provided your current university is recognized.

I hope it will clear your query!!