India, Oct. 15 -- The Government of India has issued a release:
India's women employment story is moving from participation to better-quality work. PLFS shows female Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) rising from 23.3% in 2017-18 to 40% in 2025, while Worker Population Rate (WPR) increased from 22% to 38.8%. Building on this improvement, policy support is strengthening women's work through formal enterprise recognition, credit, market access, safer workplaces, skilling and new livelihood avenues. Now, the focus is on turning higher participation into stronger income, security and economic development.
Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) measures the share of the population that is either working or seeking or available for work.
Women's Growing Presence in Enterprise
Formalisation: Giving Women's Work an Economic Identity
It was launched in February 2025 as a pilot across six higher education institutions in Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana.
Credit: Financing Enterprise Growth
Market Access: Connecting Women's Work to Buyers
Women Candidates Trained Across Emerging Sectors under Major Skill Development Schemes (2021-22 to 2025-26)
Scheme
Objective
Sector
Artificial Intelligence
Semiconductor
Renewable Energy
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 (PMKVY 4.0)
Emphasis on training in futuristic and new-age technologies, including artificial intelligence.
20,393
5,927
76,671
National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS)
Promotes apprenticeship training through paid on-the-job experience across traditional and emerging sectors, supported by direct stipend assistance for trainees.
1,534
-
19,899
Craftsman Training Scheme (CTS) through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs)
Provides vocational and technical training through ITIs, building job-ready skills across traditional and emerging trades.
512
31
5,753
Targeted Initiatives for Women
In November 2025, the Government consolidated 29 existing labour laws into four Labour Codes: the Code on Wages, 2019, the Industrial Relations Code, Code on Social Security, and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020.
Worker Population Ratio (WPR) measures the proportion of employed persons in the population.
Rising Women's Employment and Expanding Economic Opportunities
Women's employment in India is moving beyond presence alone. The rise in labour force participation marks an important shift, alongside greater focus on the nature and quality of employment. As more women enter the labour force, the next dimension of progress lies in the opportunities that work creates. Economic empowerment is strengthened when employment provides income, security, recognition and greater control over economic choices.
This broader transition is being supported through policies that expand women's access to safer workplaces, social protection, entrepreneurship, formalisation and financial opportunities. These measures help strengthen the quality of women's participation in the economy, translating into secure and empowering opportunities.
Quantity Shift: Rise in Workforce Participation
Women's engagement with India's labour market has strengthened considerably in recent years. For women aged 15 years and above, LFPR increased from 23.3% in 2017-18 to 40.0% in 2025 .
This increase has also translated into a larger share of women actually working. WPR increased from 22.0% for women in 2017-18 to 38.8% in 2025. In absolute terms, an estimated 20 crore women aged 15 years and above were employed in India during 2025.
Women as Workers, Entrepreneurs and Economic Contributors
As participation expands, the nature of women's engagement with the economy is also changing.
An increasing number of women are taking up entrepreneurship and establishing their own businesses. Women's entrepreneurship broadens economic participation by creating opportunities to earn, build assets and grow businesses. It strengthens financial independence while expanding skills and access to resources.
Alongside entrepreneurship, women's participation is also expanding across manufacturing and high-skill sectors.
Building Women-Led Enterprises from Recognition to Growth
As women build businesses across different segments, support for their long-term growth becomes increasingly important. Formal recognition, finance and market access provide key areas for strengthening women-led enterprises.
Many women-led economic activities begin at a small scale, making formal recognition important. Formalisation provides an official identity and improves access to credit, government schemes, skills and business development services.
The targets under the Swavalambini pilot have been achieved.
It also supports existing and prospective women entrepreneurs through awareness, handholding and capacity-building initiatives. As on July 2026, the Yashasvini Campaign had facilitated over 22 lakh women-owned MSME registrations. Furthermore, in FY 2025-26, total procurement from women-owned MSEs was 3.8%, exceeding the 3% public procurement target.
Formalisation brings enterprises into the recognised business ecosystem, while access to finance enables them to invest, innovate and expand.
Financial Support for Women-led MSMEs
Financial Support for Women-led Startups
Launched in 2016, Startup India is the flagship Government of India initiative to promote innovation and build a strong startup ecosystem. Under this, the Government supports startups across sectors and at different stages of their business cycle through multiple funding initiatives.
Market access helps women entrepreneurs reach more buyers and better understand demand, quality standards, branding and pricing.
For detailed information, may refer to: Womaniya: Building Inclusive Market Access for Women Entrepreneurs
Market access completes the enterprise value chain. Formalisation gives enterprises an identity, credit enables production, and market support turns production into income and sustainable growth.
Building the Skills Pipeline for Emerging Sectors
As women's opportunities expand across technology and specialised sectors, future-ready skilling becomes important for widening access to these roles.
It aims to provide 20,000 learners with practical, industry-relevant AI training and project-based experience. Participants will receive certifications, internships, apprenticeships, fellowships, career guidance and access to AI-enabled job opportunities.
These initiatives are strengthening women's pathways into emerging and specialised fields through skilling and research support.
Labour Reforms Ensuring Safer Work Opportunities
For women, wider participation in the workforce depends not only on the availability of jobs, but also on whether those jobs can be accessed and sustained. Labour regulation plays an important role in shaping these conditions.
Within this consolidated framework, several provisions strengthen women's workplace rights, safety, representation and access to employment.
Stronger Pathways for Women's Work
India's approach to women's work is increasingly focused on strengthening the conditions in which women can work and progress economically. As opportunities widen, women's contribution is becoming more visible across employment, entrepreneurship and newer areas of the economy.
Greater access to skills, finance, markets and enabling workplaces further supports these pathways. This will deepen women's role in India's growth and advance women-led development on the journey towards Viksit Bharat.
References
Ministry of Labour & Employment
https://www.labour.gov.in/static/uploads/2026/06/4b7ec0e8206aa4860576d6f75b432e97.pdf
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID2078530&lang2®48
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID2256177&lang2®48
Ministry of Finance
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID2249915&lang1®3
Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID2236871®48&lang2
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID2209712®48&lang2
https://www.cgtmse.in/
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID2236871&lang1®20
https://sansad.in/getFile/loksabhaquestions/annex/187/AS289_FewgL8.pdf?sourcepqals
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID2099687&lang2®3
https://www.msme.gov.in/offerings/schemes-and-services/details/prime-minister-employment-generation-programme-and-other-credit-support-schemes-1-MDMzETMtQWa
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID2258590&lang1®1
https://www.msme.gov.in/offerings/schemes-and-services/details/marketing-promotion-schemes-1-QzMzETMtQWa
https://ramp.msme.gov.in/ramp/RAMP-initiative/msme-team-initiative/msme-team-initiative
https://www.msme.gov.in/static/uploads/2026/05/1bfda06b460e72543530b40817573495.pdf
https://dashboard.msme.gov.in/#
https://sambandh.msme.gov.in/PPP_Index.aspx
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID2253019&lang1®3
https://www.startupindia.gov.in/content/sih/en/about-startup-india-initiative.html
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID1595854&lang2®48
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID2202984&lang1®3
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID2127843®48&lang2
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID2241313®48&lang2
Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID2226498&lang1®3
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID2204133&lang1®1
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID2123510&lang2®3
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID2225466&lang1®1
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID2294851®48&lang2
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID2149336&lang2®3
https://nstiwshimla.dgt.gov.in/en/node/2209
Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID2246009&lang1®1
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID2057970&lang2®3
https://mospi.gov.in/uploads/publications_reports/publications_reports1787307445576_78c40fd2-1acd-40fb-abb8-15f9491ba4b8_QBUSE_Bulletin_(2).pdf
https://www.mospi.gov.in/national-sample-survey-office
Ministry of Electronics & IT
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID2284808®48&lang2
Ministry of Women and Child Development
https://sansad.in/getFile/annex/270/AU3029_YErb7m.pdf?sourcepqars
Ministry of Science and Technology
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID2298220&lang1®48
Press Information Bureau (PIB) Archive
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID2250664&lang1®3
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID2181702&lang2®3
https://newindiasamachar.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/Magazine//2026/May/M202605011.pdf
https://www.pib.gov.in/FactsheetDetails.aspx?Id150499®3&lang1
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressNoteDetails.aspx?ModuleId3&NoteId154624®48&lang2
https://www.pib.gov.in/blogs/blogsdescr.aspx?feaaid581&lang1
Invest India
https://www.investindia.gov.in/team-india-blogs/women-shaping-future-indian-industries
International Organisations
https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/2024-03/un-women-womens-economic-empowerment-strategy-en.pdf
https://www.ilo.org/sites/default/files/wcmsp5/groups/public/%40ed_emp/%40emp_ent/%40ifp_seed/documents/publication/wcms_766156.pdf
https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/topic/competitiveness/small-and-medium-enterprises-smes-finance#tab-context
https://digitalforwomen.worldbank.org/access-markets
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