Women’s participation in India’s workforce has increased significantly in recent years, with the Female Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) rising from 23.3 per cent in 2017-18 to 40 per cent in 2025, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS). The Worker Population Ratio (WPR) for women also increased from 22 per cent to 38.8 per cent during the same period.
An estimated 20 crore women aged 15 years and above were employed in India in 2025. The figures reflect a broader shift in women’s economic participation, with policy initiatives increasingly focusing on improving access to finance, entrepreneurship, skills, markets and safer workplaces.
The emphasis is now on translating higher workforce participation into better-quality employment, stronger incomes and greater economic security.
Women’s Presence Expands Across Enterprises and Emerging Sectors
Women are increasingly contributing to India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. As of October 2026, around 3.69 crore registered micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) were women-owned, accounting for approximately 38 per cent of all registrations. More than 1.07 lakh recognised startups had at least one woman director or partner as of March 2026, representing around 48 per cent of all recognised startups.
Women’s participation is also expanding in technology-intensive industries. As of July 2026, women accounted for nearly 70 per cent of the direct workforce in mobile phone manufacturing. Across the broader electronics manufacturing sector, women represented nearly 30 per cent of the workforce created over the previous decade.
In the semiconductor industry, women constituted around 25 per cent of the workforce and nearly one-fourth of India’s chip design and engineering workforce as of March 2025.
The civil aviation sector has also seen women take up specialised roles. Women account for 15 per cent of pilots and air traffic controllers, 11 per cent of flight dispatchers and 33 per cent of Flight Operations Inspectors in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, according to figures for June 2025.
Women’s participation in science and technology research has grown as well. The Research and Development Statistics 2025-26 report recorded an increase in women’s share of STEM research careers from 13 per cent in 2000-01 to 29 per cent in 2023-24.
Formal Recognition and Credit Support for Women Entrepreneurs
Formal registration, access to finance and market linkages are important elements in supporting women-led businesses.
The Swavalambini Scheme, launched as a pilot in February 2025 across six higher education institutions in Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana, supports young women from business ideation to enterprise creation. It provides entrepreneurship training, financial and market guidance, legal support, and 21 weeks of mentorship and handholding for selected participants.
The Yashasvini Campaign, launched in 2024, seeks to increase women’s participation in entrepreneurship and promote gender parity on the Udyam Registration Portal and Udyam Assist Platform by 2029. As of July 2026, the campaign had facilitated more than 22 lakh women-owned MSME registrations. In the financial year 2025-26, procurement from women-owned micro and small enterprises stood at 3.8 per cent, exceeding the stipulated public procurement target of 3 per cent.
Financial support is another key component of women’s enterprise development. Under the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana, which provides collateral-free credit to micro and small businesses, more than 57.79 crore loans had been sanctioned by April 2026, with women entrepreneurs accounting for two-thirds of the total.
The Credit Guarantee Scheme for Micro and Small Enterprises provides enhanced guarantee coverage of 90 per cent for women-led enterprises, along with a 10 per cent concession on the guarantee fee. By February 2026, around 30.75 lakh guarantees worth approximately ₹2.07 lakh crore had been approved for women-owned enterprises.
Under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme, women are eligible for margin-money subsidies of 25 per cent in urban areas and 35 per cent in rural areas. By May 2026, women accounted for nearly 40 per cent of all micro-enterprises assisted under the programme.
Support for women-led startups is also being extended through initiatives under Startup India. As of January 2026, alternative investment funds supported under the Fund of Funds for Startups had invested around ₹2,995 crore in women-led startups from 2025 onwards. Incubators supported under the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme had approved around ₹294 crore in funding for women-led startups, while loans worth approximately ₹39 crore had been guaranteed to women-led startups under the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups.
Market Access Connects Women-Led Businesses with Buyers
Access to markets is essential for women entrepreneurs to expand their businesses and generate sustainable income.
The Womaniya initiative on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) connects women-owned micro and small enterprises and self-help groups with government buyers. By July 2026, more than 2.17 lakh women-owned MSEs were registered on the platform.
In the financial year 2025-26, the total contract value awarded to women-owned MSEs through GeM exceeded ₹28,000 crore, registering growth of 27.6 per cent over the previous year. Women-owned MSEs received 5.6 per cent of the total order value awarded through the platform, above the mandated procurement target of 3 per cent.
The Procurement and Marketing Support Scheme provides registered MSEs with opportunities to participate in trade fairs, exhibitions and vendor-development programmes. Women-owned MSEs are eligible for a 100 per cent subsidy on built-up space rent at trade fairs.
The MSME Trade Enablement and Marketing initiative, launched for 2024-27 under the RAMP programme, seeks to help businesses access digital markets through the Open Network for Digital Commerce. By the end of 2025-26, 1,700 women-owned MSEs had registered under the initiative.
Skilling Women for Future-Ready Jobs
As employment opportunities expand in artificial intelligence, semiconductors and renewable energy, skill development programmes are seeking to prepare women for emerging occupations.
Between 2021-22 and 2025-26, women received training in emerging sectors through schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0, the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme and the Craftsman Training Scheme implemented through Industrial Training Institutes.
The NAVYA initiative, launched in 2025, aims to provide targeted skill development to 3,850 adolescent girls under PMKVY 4.0 in non-traditional and future-oriented job roles. As of August 31, 2026, 1,105 girls had been trained under the scheme.
The AI Careers for Women programme is establishing 30 Centres of Excellence in women’s colleges across six states, supported by 150 spoke centres in Tier-II and Tier-III towns. It aims to provide 20,000 learners with practical, industry-relevant AI training and project-based experience, along with certification, internships, apprenticeships, fellowships and career guidance.
Women’s participation in scientific research is being supported through the Women in Science and Engineering–Knowledge Involvement in Research Advancement through Nurturing (WISE-KIRAN) programme. Its fellowships and institutional initiatives support doctoral and post-doctoral research, career re-entry, intellectual property rights training and continued engagement in research.
During 2025-26, 180 women pursued PhDs, 606 women scientists received post-doctoral or translational research support, and 26 senior scientists received research and development support. The programme also supported 29,443 schoolgirls in STEM.
Labour Reforms Focus on Safety and Workplace Rights
Improving women’s participation in the workforce also requires safe and enabling working conditions. The four Labour Codes, which consolidate 29 existing labour laws, include provisions relating to workplace safety, maternity benefits, non-discrimination and women’s access to employment.
Eligible women are entitled to up to 26 weeks of paid maternity leave. The framework also provides for nursing breaks, crèche facilities in establishments with at least 50 workers, and representation of women in grievance redressal committees in proportion to their share of the workforce.
Women may work in all establishments, including during night shifts, subject to their consent and prescribed safeguards. Gender discrimination in recruitment, wages and employment conditions is prohibited. Women are also required to constitute one-third of Central and State Advisory Boards under the framework.
From Participation to Economic Empowerment
India’s women’s employment landscape is evolving across traditional livelihoods, entrepreneurship, manufacturing, aviation, technology and scientific research. Rising workforce participation, combined with measures to improve access to credit, markets, skilling and workplace protections, is aimed at strengthening women’s economic opportunities.
The broader focus is on enabling women not only to enter the workforce but also to build sustainable enterprises, develop specialised skills and access secure employment. These efforts form part of the wider objective of advancing women-led development and supporting the vision of Viksit Bharat.
