“I really believe that entrepreneurship is about being able to face failure, manage failure and succeed after failing”- Kiran Mazumdar Shaw
As globalization, digitalization, and start-up booms mark promising years; India is evidently witnessing a revolution vis-à-vis women entrepreneurs. The branded culture has changed. Women entrepreneurs do not come only from the established business families or from the higher-income sections of the population anymore. The country is watching by women come from all walks of life and from all portions of this great nation.
The rural and semi-urban entrepreneurs are not lagging anywhere in this train of development, taking giant leaps for womankind. A Kashmiri girl ideated and built ‘Dial Kashmir’. It’s an app that became the much-needed digital yellow pages in Kashmir. Unique ideas have grown in India as well. India’s first ever surfing club was started by a young woman, who followed her heart all the way out to the ocean. Right from reviving the slowly diminishing small cottage industry crafts to discovering & establishing organic food companies and conceptualizing new-age education modules – women across the Indian subcontinent are breathing life into their dreams with unbelievable determination and diligence.
Further, women are now punching holes in the sky with their flight. From running sports media firms to construction companies and security and detective agencies – women are juggling fields that have traditionally palisade of male domination.
Coming to terms with the challenges associated with being an entrepreneur, its apparent that men or women, its all alike when it comes to holding your fort.. Start-ups come with their own set of obstacles and issues while women in particular have a steeper mountain to climb. But challenges are opportunities in disguise. If not, at least they give rise to the adequate reason & motivation to venture out.
According to the Sixth Economic Census released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, women constitute around 14% of the total entrepreneur base in India i.e. 8.05 million out of the total 58.5 million entrepreneurs. Now while some these entrepreneurs are accidental entrepreneurs due to the lack of other work opportunities, many are driven by a specific mission or goal. Helplessness or not, a women taking charge is no less a feat whatsoever. Sadly, the average employment in women-owned enterprises is only 1.67 people per business.
What drove most women (27%) to start their own business is the scope of becoming more creative. 20% were inspired by the voice inside to become one’s own boss and another 18% set off as they had a specific idea that they wanted to take to market.
There have been infinite motivations and factors supporting women entrepreneurship in India, if only one has the eyes to see. In a survey, about 58.4% women nodded in strong agreement and another 25.10% casually agreed to the statement that ‘knowing other women who run business acts as big support for emerging women entrepreneurs’. Well, for one thing, this straight off debunks the very stereotypical notion that women don’t support each other. Understandably, challenges in work life impact women disproportionately, but knowing fellow women entrepreneurs helps women navigate such challenges better. Besides, this also gives them the inspiration and reassurance to do better and aim higher.
The Indian woman’s multi-tasking skills are truly incredible. Agreeing to disagreeing, Indian women have to juggle between work-related stresses, targets, deadlines, competition and a plethora of such aspects along with responsibilities of home, children and social obligations. A healthy work-life balance is something women entrepreneurs seldom encounter; a challenge that they must overcome for the sake of their own happiness and peace of mind. Thankfully, the men community today is beginning to lend hands in domestic duties in order to support his woman as she chases herS dreams.
