Pahlé India Foundation (PIF) latest report highlights the urgent need for gender-intentional policies to accelerate women’s entrepreneurship and employment in India’s MSME sector.
Key Highlights:
Evidence-Based Policy: Drawing on a mixed-method approach across six states (Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, & UP), the study provides actionable, evidence-based insights.
Participatory Design: Recommendations are rooted in real-world experiences, thanks to focused group discussions with women entrepreneurs AND subsequent policy review with government officials/stakeholders.
The Goal: To strengthen women’s participation, remove barriers, and unleash the full economic potential of female-led MSMEs.
CM Rekha Gupta (Chief Minister’s Office, Government of NCT of Delhi) shared a compelling message: “Empowering women entrepreneurs requires more than words — it demands meaningful, accessible support. Our new scheme to provide collateral-free loans up to ₹10 crore is just the beginning of that support system.” This initiative exemplifies the drive for systemic change, rather than rhetorical promises, to truly elevate women-led MSMEs.









