International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research

E-ISSN: 2582-2160   •   Impact Factor: 9.24

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Breaking Barriers, Building Futures: Strategies for Empowering Women and Youth Entrepreneurs in India's Start-up Ecosystem

Author(s) Dr. G. Yella Krishna
Country India
Abstract Despite India's remarkable emergence as the world's third-largest startup ecosystem, with over 2,00,000 recognized startups and 122 unicorns, the participation and leadership of women and youth entrepreneurs remain disproportionately low. Women-led startups receive less than 5% of venture capital funding, while youth entrepreneurs face systemic barriers of limited credit history, lack of collateral, and perceived inexperience. This paper examines the structural, social, and institutional barriers constraining these underrepresented groups and identifies evidence-based strategies for empowerment. Drawing on comprehensive data from government sources, industry reports, and case studies of successful women and youth-led ventures—including Nykaa, SUGAR Cosmetics, Zepto, and Ola—the analysis reveals that the barriers are multifaceted: financial (funding gap, collateral requirements), social (gender norms, network exclusion), and institutional (policy implementation gaps, lack of tailored support). The paper evaluates existing government interventions including Stand-Up India (over 2.5 lakh beneficiaries), MUDRA (over 40 crore loans disbursed), and Project Swavalambini, identifying significant implementation gaps. It presents a strategic framework for empowerment across four dimensions: financial inclusion (dedicated funds, alternative financing), ecosystem support (mentorship networks, incubators), educational transformation (entrepreneurship curricula, skill development), and policy reform (regulatory simplification, procurement preferences). The paper concludes that empowering women and youth entrepreneurs is not merely an equity imperative but an economic necessity for India's journey to Viksit Bharat @2047, arguing that unlocking the entrepreneurial potential of these underrepresented groups could add 2-3% to India's annual GDP growth.
Keywords Women entrepreneurship, youth entrepreneurship, funding gap, inclusion strategies, Stand-Up India, MUDRA, mentorship networks, entrepreneurial education, demographic dividend, Viksit Bharat
Published In Volume 8, Issue 2, March-April 2026
Published On 2026-03-30
DOI https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i02.80940
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CrossRef DOI prefix of IJFMR is 10.36948/ijfmr

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