Women Entrepreneurs in the Growing Indian Startup Ecosystem: Drivers, Support Systems, and Challenges

Yashi Singh, Research Scholar; Ajay Dwivedi, Professor; Shikha Dubey, Assistant Professor

doi:10.21844/smsjei.v12i01.30004

Yashi Singh, Research Scholar Department of Financial Studies, VBS Purvanchal University, Jaunpur, U.P, India
Ajay Dwivedi, Professor Department of Financial Studies, VBS Purvanchal University, Jaunpur, U.P, India
Shikha Dubey, Assistant Professor Department of MBA, IIMT Engineering College, Meerut, U.P. , India.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21844/smsjei.v12i01.30004

Keywords: Women Startup, Entrepreneurship, Gender, Economy, Support System.

Abstract

The emergence of women entrepreneurs in India is a turning point in the economic situation in the country.
The growing number of women engaging in the world of entrepreneurship is not only a measure of socio-
economic development but also a source of innovativeness and inclusive economic development in India.
This paper examines women entrepreneurs in the Indian startup ecosystem using an exclusively secondary
data–based approach. Drawing on academic literature, government and institutional reports, and ecosystem
studies published mainly after 2015, The findings reveal that women’s entrepreneurial entry is driven by a
mix of economic necessity, aspirations for autonomy and self-realisation, perceived work–life flexibility,
and new opportunities created by digital platforms and evolving policy regimes. The study recommends
simplifying and deepening outreach for public schemes, developing gender-responsive financial products,
decentralising and hybridising ecosystem support, addressing care and mobility constraints, and promoting
norm-shifting narratives that position women as legitimate entrepreneurial leaders. By synthesising
dispersed evidence, the paper offers an integrated, policy-oriented understanding of women’s
entrepreneurship in India and highlights priority areas for future empirical research and targeted
intervention.