INDIAN WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS: ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

Abstract

Women Entrepreneur initiates, organize and operate a business enterprise, explore the prospects of starting new enterprise, undertake risks, introduction of new innovations, coordination of administration and control of business and providing an effective leadership in all the aspects of business. The government of India has defined women entrepreneur as an enterprise owned and controlled by women having a minimum financial interest of 51%of the capital and giving at least 51% of employment generated in the enterprise of women. Women as an Entrepreneur are faced with specific obstacles that have to be overcome in order to give them to same opportunities as men. The major deterrent to women entrepreneurs is that they are women-a male dominant social order is the building block to them in their way of success. The financial institutions are skeptical about the entrepreneurial abilities of women. The women entrepreneurs lack access to external funds due to their inability to provide tangible security. Women’s family obligations also bar them from becoming successful entrepreneurs. Indian women give more emphasis to family ties and relationships. Another argument is that women entrepreneurs have low –level management skills. The male-female competition is another factor, which develop hurdles to women entrepreneurs in the business management process. Women Entrepreneurship has been largely neglected both in society in general and in the social set up. In spite of all these hurdles, women entrepreneurship has been recognized during the last decade as an important untapped source of economic growth, create new jobs for themselves and others, and by offering different solutions to management, organization and business problems. This research paper is an attempt to focus on the study of challenges faced by women entrepreneurs and opportunities available for them in India. The research work also suggests some useful recommendations to make women entrepreneurship more contributory to the society at large and to recognize their importance at national level.