New Delhi: Government think tank NITI Aayog and the India SME Forum on Thursday launched a joint initiative, A Million Women Arise, to empower women entrepreneurs across India. Addressing the launch event here, Ankita Pandey, Director, Ministry of MSME, said that women-owned enterprises make up 35 per cent of India’s six crore registered MSMEs, yet they face unique challenges, including gender bias and limited access to markets.

“The Ministry of MSME is committed to addressing these gaps through initiatives that enhance formalization, mentorship, capacity-building, and e-commerce integration,” she shared. Anna Roy, Principal Economic Advisor, NITI Aayog & Mission Director, WEP emphasized, “the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) is a public-private partnership, bringing together key ministries, including MSME, to support women entrepreneurs. By integrating existing programmes, we aim to create a cohesive support system through access to finance, markets, compliance support, skilling, mentorship, and networking”.

Vinod Kumar, President India SME Forum, said: “Through this collaboration with NITI Aayog, we aim to extend WEP’s initiatives to millions of aspiring women entrepreneurs, providing them with the knowledge and support needed to build successful businesses”.

Besides, India SME Forum also formalized a strategic partnership with IndiGo, through the signing of a MoU at the event for providing MSMEs with improved travel solutions, reinforcing their growth and mobility.