Women Entrepreneurship in India: A Study of their Profile, Motivation, Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

Women entrepreneurs per se could play a crucial role in the economic growth of the country by generating income and employment. The present study was conducted in three coastal districts of Orissa state in India with the objectives of analysing the socio-economic profile, the factors that help women to become entrepreneurs, problems faced by women entrepreneurs and suggesting strategies that would contribute to greater success rate for women entrepreneurs. The study revealed that a majority of the respondents are of young, educated and entered into the business after marriage. The entrepreneurial career attracted them so much that they entered into it with great enthusiasm. The respondents find this as the primary reason for taking up entrepreneurship as their main profession. The sample entrepreneurs faced various problems in enterprise set up viz. social problems, marketing problems, problems of occupational mobility, lack of government assistance, and financial problems. The study pointed out that the initial pains and hard work in setting up a venture get compensated multifold upon successful running of an enterprise. The study further suggested strategies like good educational support, motivation, role models, provision of finance and suitable entrepreneurship development programmes in order to promote women entrepreneurship.