A Platform for Emerging Women Entrepreneurs – Udyam Sakhi

UDYAM SAKHI is a network for nurturing social entrepreneurship, creating business models revolving around low-cost products and services to resolve social inequities. Women in India can play a very vital role to support the growth of Indian economy by introducing SME’s in a various sector with the support of Government India.

UDYAM SAKHI network is a platform for emerging Women Entrepreneurs of India to get support to understand current scenario of industries and to get guidance in various aspect of entrepreneurship.

Over the past few years, India has record growth in women entrepreneurship and more women are pursuing their career in this direction. In India, there are about 8 million women who have started or are running their businesses. Apart from that, women have 24% share in corporate senior management positions in India.

UDYAM SAKHI provides assistances primarily through its Programmatic Functions:

• Entrepreneurship Learning Tools e.g. Preparing Business Plan.
• Incubation facility
• Training programmes for fundraising
• Providing MENTOR
• One to one Investor Meet
• Provide Market Survey Facility
• Learning and Development (Education, Information, Technical Assistance & Training)

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector has emerged as a highly vibrant and dynamic sector of the Indian economy over the last five decades. MSMEs not only play a crucial role in providing large employment opportunities at comparatively lower capital cost than large industries but also help in the industrialization of rural & backward areas, thereby, reducing regional imbalances, assuring more equitable distribution of national income and wealth. MSMEs are complementary to large industries as ancillary units, and this sector contributes enormously to the socio-economic development of the country.

Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (M/o MSME) envision a vibrant MSME sector by promoting growth and development of the MSME Sector, including Khadi, Village and Coir Industries, in cooperation with concerned Ministries/Departments, State Governments and other Stakeholders, through providing support to existing enterprises and encouraging creation of new enterprises.

The role of the M/o MSME and its organizations is to assist the States in their efforts to encourage entrepreneurship, employment and livelihood opportunities and enhance the competitiveness of MSMEs in the changed economic scenario. The schemes/ programmes undertaken by the Ministry and its organizations seek to facilitate/provide:

i) adequate flow of credit from financial institutions/banks;

ii) support for technology up gradation and modernization;

iii) integrated infrastructural facilities;

iv) modern testing facilities and quality certification;

v) access to modern management practices;

vi) entrepreneurship development and skill up gradation through appropriate training facilities;

vii) support for product development, design intervention and packaging;

viii) welfare of artisans and workers;

ix) assistance for better access to domestic and export markets; and

x) cluster-wise measures to promote capacity-building and empowerment of the units and their collectives.

Source: Udyam Sakhi