Breaking Barriers for Women-led Green Enterprises in India

In August 2024, the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India appreciated the efforts made by econscious^TM – a waste recycling start-up based out of New Delhi – in his ‘Mann ki Baat’ address. Co-founded by Sonal Shukla during the Covid-19 pandemic, econscious turns plastic waste into furniture and is a prime example of a green enterprise that produces eco-friendly products. Less known are the efforts of Mamta Devi and her venture, Didi ke Papad. Together with her group of 11 JEEViKA didis (Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society self-help group members), they use a solar-powered machine to make papad – a traditional Indian snack – and sell them in the largely rural Begusarai district of Bihar.

Sonal and Mamta’s ventures are among the 20% female-owned micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in India. Their stories mirror the systemic issues faced by women entrepreneurs across the country’s urban and rural landscapes. These challenges include societal norms, lack of formal documentation, financial limitations, nominal ownership, networking difficulties, insufficient support systems, limited market access, and lack of technical and business skills. These issues inhibit growth and innovation in their ventures.

During Connect Karo 2024, WRI India and Purpose co-facilitated a session with women entrepreneurs, representatives from the International Labor Organization (ILO), Skill Council for Green Jobs and policy experts. Along with experts on entrepreneurship, curriculum development, technical and vocational training and green skills, the group deliberated challenges and proposed solutions aimed at supporting women entrepreneurs in the green MSME sector.

Enhancing Access to Skills and Training Programs for Women

Societal norms often limit women’s ability to make meaningful employment choices. These are intertwined with familial expectations and perceptions about physical and technical work. Labor market opportunities reflect this – women are more likely to be trained for traditional roles, such as food processing, apparel, healthcare and waste segregation. In emerging green sectors, engaging women in male-dominated work like furniture upcycling and recycling remains difficult.

Despite 30% reservation in skills training programs, women are yet to leverage many of these opportunities. Targeted efforts are being made to equip women to move to green sectors. Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) trained women salt-pan farmers in Gujarat for solar technician jobs. Almost half the trained women secured solar technician jobs after the training. SEWA’s approach combines reservations, motivation, mobilization and awareness generation. Their initiative demonstrates pathways for entry of women in male-dominated fields, such as solar installation and electrification.

State-level skill development programs are designed to create a technically skilled workforce. However, translating skill-based knowledge into successful enterprises requires additional support. This can include apprenticeship programs that allow women to apply technical skills while learning on the job. Women entrepreneurs also require business development training. This includes product diversification, marketing, networking and financial management. Economically vulnerable women in rural areas often start enterprises driven by financial necessity, while women from more stable economic backgrounds in urban areas may prioritize social and environmental goals when incubating green businesses. Understanding these specific motivations can help tailor courses to meet specific needs and provide opportunities for growth and expansion.

In India, many small business owners struggle with literacy and numeracy skills required for registering businesses, obtaining documentation and getting access to credit. Models like the ILO’s Gender and Entrepreneurship Together (GET) Ahead can support women leaders by enhancing numeracy, accounting, communication and other skills required to scale green businesses.

Building Networks of Women Entrepreneurs

India has seen a successful scaling of local women’s groups through self-help groups (SHGs). However, women entrepreneurs have limited avenues to connect and share experiences. This can be critical for supporting women at the various stages of their entrepreneurial journey. Peer-to-peer learning enhances knowledge exchange, fosters collaboration and allows access to resources, mentorship and market linkages to scale businesses.

The Bolega Bihar campaign is one such initiative by Purpose that facilitates a knowledge exchange on solar technologies and government subsidies between local women leaders and their SHG peers. Through demonstration visits and group discussions, the initiative encourages women to avail the benefits of decentralized renewable energy programs. However, such initiatives are far and few. Uplifting hyperlocal initiatives using the power of storytelling, art and culture can build a stronger mainstream narrative on women’s leadership in green enterprises.

India has limited collectives of women entrepreneurs to advocate and support women-owned businesses. Establishing such organizations at central, state and local levels allows women to connect with larger business associations, learn about suitable policies and raise individual concerns. By moving towards cooperative or social enterprise models, SHG-led businesses can function as commercial entities while ensuring social impact. SEWA’s parametric heat insurance for their 21,000 members in Gujarat offers an emerging financial cooperation model that can reduce climate change-induced business risks for women-led enterprises.

Encouraging Gender-specific Policies

Addressing gender-specific workplace challenges is key to increasing women’s participation in green jobs. This can be done by improving infrastructure and creating provision for hygiene facilities, crèches, day-care centers, safe commuting options and digital literacy. There is a need to establish women’s collectives and enable access to technology and finance for scaling businesses. For instance, women entrepreneurs require financial literacy and access to innovative credit mechanisms, such as microcredit for business expansion. Nepal’s My Business My Freedom (MBMF) program which builds financial literacy among women entrepreneurs, offers a model that India could adopt.

At the macro level, meaningful measures are necessary to mitigate the possibility of "tokenistic ownership" in women-led businesses for registration and other benefits. State MSME policies and sustainability efforts within global supply chains must embed gender-responsive measures. Addressing the challenges faced by entrepreneurs like Mamta and Sonal requires coordinated efforts from state governments, MSMEs, global supply chains and skilling organizations. Women’s leadership and entrepreneurial skills in low-carbon sectors require the attention and support of policymakers.

Harpreet Bhullar is an Associate Director at Purpose.