Nearly 76,000 Indian startups now led by women: Minister

New Delhi, July 19 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) Around 76,000 startups in India today are women-led and a large number of them from tier 2 and 3 cities, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said on Saturday.

The minister said that India’s path to becoming a developed nation by 2047 will be led by empowered women and youth, as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi under the paradigm of women-led development.

Addressing a conference here, Dr Singh stated that over the last 11 years, the PM Modi government has focused its governance architecture around four pillars — the Poor, Farmers, Youth, and Women.

“Women-centric governance has not only empowered individuals, but reshaped society. What began as targeted welfare has now evolved into institutional leadership,” he told the gathering.

The minister launched the Jeevika E-Learning Management System App, aimed at providing accessible learning for women, and unveiled the publication titled “Shashakt Mahila, Samriddh Bihar”, which celebrates women’s contributions to Bihar’s progress.

Dr Singh elaborated on the PM Modi government’s structured and comprehensive approach to women empowerment, built across four key pillars.

The first phase, Access and Inclusion in Institutions, marked a historic shift in India’s educational and military landscape. The second phase, Scientific and Technological Empowerment, has empowered women through targeted schemes such as WISE (Women in Science and Engineering), GATI (Gender Advancement for Transforming Institutions), CURIE, and the Women Scientist Programme.

The third phase, Economic and Social Empowerment, has witnessed a massive scale-up of women’s access to financial resources. Over 48 crore Jan Dhan accounts have been opened for women, while more than 60 per cent of Mudra Yojana beneficiaries are women entrepreneurs.

The creation of over 3 crore ‘Lakhpati Didis’ through Self-Help Groups (SHGs) is transforming rural economies. Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, homes registered in women’s names are providing not just shelter but also financial and social dignity.

The fourth phase, Workplace Reforms and Legal Sensitivity, has introduced compassionate and inclusive governance measures. These include six-month paid childcare leave for women in government service, pension rights extended to unmarried or divorced dependent daughters, and maternity leave provisions even after stillbirths.

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