Contribution of Women Empowerment towards SME’s Development in India

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT TOWARDS
SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISE’S
DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA: THE
CONTRIBUTION OF WOMEN IN
DEVELOPMENT OF INDIA'S ECONOMY
WITHIN SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE
INDUSTRIES

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Research Title..............................................................................................................................1
Research Aim...............................................................................................................................1
Research Objectives.....................................................................................................................1
Research Questions......................................................................................................................1
Research Background..................................................................................................................1
Rationale of the Research............................................................................................................3
Significance of the Research.....................................................................................................5
Research Scope............................................................................................................................6
LITERATURE REVIEW..............................................................................................................10
Theme 1: Understanding about women empowerment.......................................................10
Theme 2: Role of small-scale industries in women empowerment in India.......................20
Theme 3: SMEs industry environment in India in context of women................................24
Theme 4: The challenges faced by women and examine best practices for female owned
SME's........................................................................................................................................33
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................54

INTRODUCTION
Research Title
Title of this research project is: Contribution of women empowerment towards SME’s
development in India.
Research Aim
Main aim of this research is “To explore the contribution of women empowerment
towards SME’s development in India.
Research Objectives
This research is split into two variables which is dependent and independent (Bos and
Millone, 2015). SEMs development in India is dependent variable which is depend on
contribution of women entrepreneur. These are some essential and useful objectives related with
the research aim are determined as under:
 To extend understanding about Women empowerment.
 To explore Role of women in Small-Scale Industries in Andhra Pradesh
 To analyse the favourability of SME industry environment to Women.
 To identify the challenges faced by women and examine best practices for female owned
SME's
Research Questions
Research question is mainly based on research objectives. These are the research
questions:
 What are the basic phenomena about Women empowerment?
 Does the SME environment favour women?
 Are there challenges limiting women in contributing to SME?
 What the knowledge about the best practices for female owned SME’s?
Research Background
Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) plays a vital role in economic development of a
country (Calman, 2019). Their role in terms of production, generation and contribution of
employment not only helps in improving the economic condition of a country but also helps in
reducing unemployment within a country. For Indian economy also SME are equally important.
It has been observed that nowadays contribution of women is also increasing i.e. today a greater
number of women are starting to work or start their own business. In each sector a greater
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number of women are engaging themselves in performing different kinds of jobs at different
levels. From top to bottom i.e. at each level women are participating in equal number as
compared to men. Other than working as an employee, women are also giving a tough
competition to male entrepreneurs. Even in India number of women entrepreneurs are increasing.
If only SME’s are focused then it can be said that SME has a greater number of Women
entrepreneurs as compared to male entrepreneurs (Ramadani, Gerguri-Rashiti and Fayolle, 2015)
. Contribution of Women entrepreneurs is playing a vital role in development of countries like
India. There is another side of this fact which focuses on all kinds of issues or problems that are
faced by Women in starting their own business-like financial problems, human resource problem
etc. All these issues are impacting growth of women entrepreneurs which is causing a significant
decrease in participation of women entrepreneurs in SME. It is very crucial for both the
developed and developing countries whether they are small as well as medium they always
represent the economic development model that la emphasis on the high contribution regarding
domestic production, employment generation , effective contribution regarding the foreign
exchanges earning to the country regrading low import operations called imperative operations
(Garikipati and et.al., 2017). SMEs sector also emerged as a vibrant as well as dynamic sector
regarding economy. The Indian economy is more expected to grow 9 percent per annum until
2020 and also becomes the largest within the world. It can be ahead to the United states by 2051
as well as third largest after the United States and China by 2032. In order to understand the
influence the SMEs within Indian economy is that they must study the trend as well as pattern
that can be prevalent within the previous year. These Medium and Small enterprises consider as
the backbone in general and secondary sector of an economy. For developing countries such as
India, they are known as panacea regarding various economic woes such poverty, inequalities,
poverty, regional barriers.
These MSMEs played a great role as well as assuring the socialist goals such as women
empowerment balance regional development and also envisaged through planners immediately
after the independence. It found to be more efficient to provide the women employment
opportunities relatively at lower cost (Ramadani, Gerguri-Rashiti and Fayolle, 2015). The
women working here are relatively. Indian economy is growing rapidly at high pace. It is
because of rise in number of SME’s that are highly contributing in GDP of nation. In present
times, a large number of SME’s has emerged in India. They belong to different sectors and are
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operating successfully (Garikipati and et.al., 2017). Moreover, women are also engaged in
managing business. They are working at high position like managers, CEO, etc. Moreover,
government has taken various initiatives as well to empower women in managing SME’s. it has
enabled in educating women and motivating them to work in SME’s. through SME’s women are
able to gain skills and knowledge. They are now able to manage business effectively and become
independent. SMEs as better pathway for women empowerment is that these industries requires
small amount of investment. Thus women with good business skills can also make investment
can generate profitability making them financially self regulating (Ramadani, Gerguri-Rashiti
and Fayolle, 2015) . The small scale industries are also crucial as it can improve growth as well
increase productivity.
Rationale of the Research
Present research is based upon importance of women entrepreneur in growth and
development of India (Calvi, Lewbel and Tommasi, 2017). The main reason behind choosing
this as a research topic is that today number of women entrepreneurs are increasing in business
world which is playing a vital role in development of countries like India. This research is
important to understand the way in which role of women can be increased in development of a
country and what role does SME plays in increasing women empowerment (Qureshi, Khan and
Uprit, 2016). In order to increase women empowerment in business world small and medium
enterprise plays a vital role. This is one of the reasons why this topic has been chosen as this
research will help in highlighting the role of women entrepreneurs in small medium enterprise in
development of a country like India (Afshar, 2016). In addition to this, the academic interest of
the researcher is another reason for choosing this topic.
Women play a vital role in the running and functioning of the nation by making their
contribution in various fields such as politics where they contribute their efforts at times being
President, Prime Minister of India, Leader of Opposition and Speaker of Lok Sabha. States in
India such as Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal pradesh, Uttrakhand, Andra Pradesh, Himachal
Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerla, Orissa, Maharashtra, Tripura and Rajasthan
have initiated implementation of 50% reservation of women in PRIs. Panchayats hold enormous
number of members. Kodaserry Panchayat in Kerala have 100% elected its members as women
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are currently there as 2 chief ministers of India are female along with 12 out of 29 states and
union territory of Delhi have at least one female Chief Minister.
Recruitment of women for non-medical post for Indian Army Forces began positioning in
1992. From 2013 Border Security Forces (BSF) began recruitment of women where in year 2017
Tanushree Pareek is the first female combat officer commissioned by BSF gave women the
freedom to serve for the nation and express their patriotism in efficient and effective ways.
Where government embedded several law's for their protection and safety such as
Guardians & Wards Act, 1890, Indian Panel Code, 1860, Christian Marriage Act, 1872, Indian
Evidence Act, 1872, Married Women's Property Act, 1874, Workmen's compensation Act, 1923,
Indian Succession Act, 1925, Immoral Traffic Act, 1956, Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961,
Commission of Sati Act, 1987, Cinematography Act, 1952, Births, Deaths & Marriage
Registration Act, 1886, Minimum Wages Act, 1948, Prevention of children from sexual offences
Act, 2012, Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929, Muslim Personal Law Application, 1937,
Indecent Representation of Women Act, 1986, Special marriage Act, 1954, Hindu marriage Act,
1955, Hindu Succession Act, 1956, Foreign marriage Act, 1969, Family Courts Acts, 1954,
maternity Benefit Act, 1961, Hindu Adoption & Maintenance Act, 1956, Code of Criminal
Procedure Act, 1973, Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971, National Commission for
Women Act, 1990, Pre-conception and pre-natal diagnostic techniques, protection of women
from domestic violence act, 2005, sexual harassment of women at workplace act, 2013, Indian
divorce Act, 1969, Equal Remuneration Act, 1976, Hindu Widows Remarriage Act, 1856 and
Muslim women act, 1986.
India in today's time is facing low life expectancy of their women compared to that of
other countries in the world which is gradually improving but is a major concern for the nation.
Women and girls from rural culture are facing nutritional deficiencies and are mostly
malnourished where poor nutrition practices during pregnancy which lead to complications
during birth where 42% of the delivery process happen under supervision of expert whereas
other 58% occur with the support of elder women in the house along with many other un
professional members of the family who lack knowledge about pregnancy.
Indian Air Force also recruits women for combat and support roles. During Kargil war
Gunjan Saxena was the first supporting sorties whereas Deepika Mishra in 2006 was first IAF
woman pilot received training for Sarang display team. Whereas Nivedita Chodhary 2012 was
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first women from Indian Air Force to summit Mount Everest. Whereas further the year 2015
added women as fighter pilots, adding their roles of helicopter pilots for Indian Air Force. The
year 2015 added 1500 women that include 94 pilots along with 14 navigators where wing
commander Shaliza Dhami was the first female officer having permanent commission with
Indian Air Force where Minty Agarwal squadron leader was the first women receiving Yudh
Seva Medal. Further Dr. Punita Arora in 1968 became second Indian women promotes as three
star ranker after Lt. General Punita Arora. Dr. Seema Rao Indian Wonder Women first Indian
woman commander trainer who have trained 15000 special forces in India served for 20 years
consequently without compensation as close quarter battle. Further women are serving in central
reserve police force, central industrial security force, border security force, sashastra seema bal,
Indo Tibetian border force. Further they are also accountable to serve in national security guard,
special protection group, railway protection force, national disaster response force. Women in
Indian Cost Guard, Assam Rifles and Special Frontier Force where Indian Coast Guard on
January 2017 deployed four female officers for combat roles namely commandants Anuradha
Shukla, Sneha Kathyat, Shirin Chandran and Vasunshara Chouskey in Indian maritime bordering
Bangladessh and Pakistan.
Significance of the Research
Significance is crucial within a study as it help in presenting the reason about why
conduction of a particular resaerch is important and how its outcome would be helpful. It also
helps in understanding who will be the users of the research who can benefit for this particular
research (Garikipati and et.al., 2017). This research contributes in understanding role of women
empowerment in SME’s in development of a country like India. This research also benefits the
researcher in understanding contribution of Women in development of a country, issues or
barriers that are faced by women entrepreneurs, Role of Small-Scale Industries in Women
empowerment in India, SMEs industry environment in India in respect of Women, best practices
for female owned SME’s in India (Ramadani, Gerguri-Rashiti and Fayolle, 2015) . With the help
of this research study women entrepreneurs can understand the way in which they can overcome
their issues or problem that are faced by them.
This chapter has identified the ways in which the women have come up with the growth
and development of themselves which has aimed for the development of small enterprise. The
roles and functions has developed the quality and increased the status of the women. This has
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developed the level of equality among the development of women workers which has increased
the significant value of the women workers which has aimed for the development of female
workers. As there is a growth of women in gender equality this has increased a significant value
of the workers (Qureshi, Khan and Uprit, 2016). This research has showed how female workers
have developed in India, many of the women workers are the owners of many small-scale
business. Many of the women workers has grown as an entrepreneur. Which has brought equality
among the workers and provided am equal status to the women. In Indian economy it is
necessary to find out role of women as entrepreneur and in SME’s. This is because in recent
times, women are highly involved in starting their own business and contributing in other
SME’s. Women are competing with men in making a business successful. They are offering new
ideas and strategies. Furthermore, women participation in business has increased. They are
working as managers in various SME’s. Thus, it has transformed the growth of SME’s.
Therefore, it has resulted in empowering women and there is high rise in their participation in
business. Furthermore, study emphasis on why there is rise in women in SME and its growth.
India is nation where there is gender inequality. Also, most of SME are managed by men. This
study will throw light on how women are playing vital role as entrepreneur. Also, it will reflect
how in social, economic, etc. way women are contributing in SME’s. beside this, research will
provide stats and raw data on women role in making SME’s successful and expanding in other
markets (Buckley and Perlman, 2018). Alongside it, how small business enterprises growth and
development is done through effective strategies and goals.
Research Scope
The data will be collected in the form of questionnaire through a survey which helps the
researcher to collect required data with survey questions so that analysis of the data can be done
in a convenient manner (Buckley and Perlman, 2018). Inductive approach will be used by
research, this will help in reaching the conclusion by collating more appropriate information
about the research topic. This research paper has been done with minimum limitations. Despite
of these limitations this research is appropriate enough to be used in future in understanding
women role in developing countries. In future this research can be a reference document by
women entrepreneurs in order to improve their participation in development of their country.
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