Women Entrepreneurship Programs in India 2025: Your Ultimate Guide to Funding, Mentorship & Growth

When a woman starts a business, she doesn’t just create profit — she creates possibility.” — NEF, The Natarajan Empowerment Foundation

India has over 13.5–15.7 million women-owned businesses — and yet, they contribute less than 5% to the country’s GDP.

Why?

Not because women lack ideas, grit, or vision.

But because they’ve historically lacked access:
  • Access to capital
  • Access to networks
  • Access to mentorship
  • Access to markets
  • Access to confidence-building ecosystems

That’s changing — fast.

In 2025, a wave of powerful, inclusive, and tech-enabled women entrepreneurship programs is sweeping across India — from metro startup hubs to remote villages.

Whether you’re:
  • A homemaker wanting to monetize your cooking skills,
  • A corporate professional dreaming of launching your own brand,
  • A rural artisan seeking digital market access,
  • Or a student building your first MVP

At NEF (The Natarajan Empowerment Foundation), we’ve curated, tested, and partnered with the best of these initiatives — and built our own flagship program, WeScale, to fill the gaps others miss.

This guide walks you through the top women entrepreneurship programs in India for 2025 — free and paid, government and private, online and on-ground.

Why Investing in Women Entrepreneurs = Smart Economics

Before diving into the list, let’s ground this in hard numbers.

According to McKinsey Global Institute:
  • Advancing gender equality could add $770 billion to India’s GDP by 2025.
  • Women reinvest 90% of their income back into their families and communities — compared to 30–40% by men.
  • Businesses founded by women deliver higher revenue per dollar invested (Boston Consulting Group).

Yet today:

  • Only 14% of Indian startups have a woman founder (Inc42).
  • Less than 5% of venture funding goes to women-led ventures.
  • Over 70% of women entrepreneurs operate from home — often invisible to formal systems.

Programs aren’t charity. They’re economic accelerators.

And in 2025, they’re more accessible than ever.

Section 1: Government-Backed Women Entrepreneurship Programs

These programs are funded by taxpayers — meaning you’ve already paid for them. Time to claim your share.

1. Stand-Up India Scheme
What it offers:
  • Collateral-free bank loans between ₹10 lakh – ₹1 crore
  • For greenfield enterprises (new businesses) in manufacturing, services, or trading
  • At least one woman director/shareholder required
Eligibility:
  • Woman above 18 years
  • No default history with banks
  • Not in blacklisted sectors (gambling, tobacco, etc.)

How to apply:
Walk into any Scheduled Commercial Bank → Ask for “Stand-Up India Desk” → Submit basic KYC + business summary

Pro Tip: Pair this with MSME registration for extra benefits (tax rebates, easier compliance).

2. Mahila E-Haat
What it offers:
  • Free e-commerce platform to sell handmade goods, food, crafts, apparel
  • Zero commission fees
  • PAN India visibility
Eligibility:
  • Women self-help groups, artisans, micro-entrepreneurs
  • Must have Aadhaar + mobile number
3. State-Specific Powerhouses
 Kudumbashree (Kerala)
  • World’s largest women’s community network
  • Offers seed funding, training, market linkages
  • Focus: Food, tailoring, eco-products, tourism
Mission Shakti (Odisha / Bihar / UP variants)
  • Interest-free loans up to ₹50,000
  • Business development training
  • Cluster-based production units
Tejaswini (Madhya Pradesh)
  • Incubation centers in 50 districts
  • Mentoring + digital marketing support

Check your state’s Women & Child Development Dept website — most now have dedicated entrepreneurship cells.

Section 2: Private & NGO-Led Programs

These programs offer what governments can’t: agility, niche expertise, and global networks.

1. WE HUB (Telangana)

What it offers:

  • Incubation space in Hyderabad + virtual support
  • Investor connects, pitch training, legal aid
  • Focus: Tech, health, agritech, D2C brands

Fees: Free for early-stage; nominal fee for scaling

2.CIIE.CO Women Entrepreneurs Program
What it offers:
  • 12-week accelerator
  • Mentorship from unicorn founders
  • Demo Day with 100+ investors

Eligibility: Revenue-generating startups with at least 1 woman co-founder

Fee: ₹50,000 (includes equity-free grant of ₹2 lakh)

3. Cherie Blair Foundation – Mentoring Women in Business
What it offers:
  • Free 6-month virtual mentorship (global mentors)
  • Business toolkit downloads
  • Community forums

Eligibility: Women running businesses <5 years, in low/middle-income countries

A woman with a business plan is a nation with a future.

— Team NEF