Women own about 3.69 crore registered micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in India, accounting for roughly 38% of all registrations as of October 2026, according to an official government factsheet released on October 15, 2026. The same factsheet shows India’s female labour force participation rate (LFPR) for those aged 15 and above climbed from 23.3% in 2017-18 to 40% in 2025, based on the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS).
The female Worker Population Ratio (WPR) rose from 22% to 38.8% over the same period. An estimated 20 crore women aged 15 and above were employed in India in 2025.
How the women-owned MSME count has grown
The registrations are counted across the Udyam Registration Portal and the Udyam Assist Platform. The figure has risen steadily over the past year:
| Period | Women-owned/led MSMEs registered | Source |
|---|---|---|
| July 2020 to November 2025 | 2.86 crore+ | Ministry of MSME reply in Parliament |
| As of February 28, 2026 | 3.07 crore | Ministry of MSME data |
| Early 2026 | 3.11 crore+ | PIB, April 2026 |
| October 2026 | 3.69 crore (about 38% of total) | Government factsheet, October 15, 2026 |
The Yashasvini Campaign, launched by the Ministry of MSME in June 2024 with a goal of gender parity on the Udyam platforms by 2029, had facilitated more than 22 lakh women-owned MSME registrations as of July 2026.
Union Minister of State for MSME Shobha Karandlaje had described women’s role in the sector in a PIB blog published in April 2026:
“The MSME sector is often called the backbone of India’s economy. But if we look closely, at its heart stands the quiet force of women entrepreneurs.”
She added in the same piece: “A developed India is an India where more than 3 crore women entrepreneurs (and still counting) are the very engine of development.”
Startups, procurement and credit
Beyond MSMEs, more than 1.07 lakh DPIIT-recognised startups had at least one woman director or partner as of March 2026. That’s about 48% of all recognised startups.
On public procurement, purchases from women-owned micro and small enterprises (MSEs) stood at 3.8% in FY26, above the mandated 3% target. Through the Womaniya initiative on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM), more than 2.17 lakh women-owned MSEs were registered by July 2026. Contract value awarded to them on GeM crossed ₹28,000 crore in FY26, up 27.6% year-on-year, which is 5.6% of total order value on the platform.
Credit figures from the factsheet include:
- PM MUDRA Yojana: Over 57.79 crore loans sanctioned by April 2026, with women accounting for two-thirds of borrowers.
- CGTMSE: About 30.75 lakh guarantees worth roughly ₹2.07 lakh crore approved for women-owned enterprises by February 2026, with 90% guarantee coverage and a 10% fee concession for women-led units.
- PMEGP: Women made up nearly 40% of all micro-enterprises assisted by May 2026.
Women’s share in manufacturing and tech roles
As of July 2026, women made up nearly 70% of the direct workforce in mobile phone manufacturing and nearly 30% of the workforce added in electronics manufacturing over the past decade. In semiconductors, women formed about 25% of the workforce as of March 2025.
Workplace provisions under the Labour Codes
The factsheet also points to provisions in the four Labour Codes, which consolidate 29 labour laws. These include up to 26 weeks of paid maternity leave, crèche facilities in establishments with 50 or more workers, consent-based night shifts with safeguards, and a prohibition on gender discrimination in recruitment and wages.
