SDG 5: Gender Equality | SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
Institutions: Ministry of Rural Development | Government of Kerala
The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), in collaboration with Keralaβs State Rural Livelihood Mission (Kudumbashree), organised a two-day National Workshop on Rural Enterprise Incubators under DAY-NRLM in Thiruvananthapuram. Over 10 crore women have been mobilised into 90 lakh Self-Help Groups (SHGs) nationwide, many becoming first-generation entrepreneurs. Pilot incubator projects in states like Assam, Bihar, West Bengal, and Karnataka have shown early promise; Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and others are scaling up incubator initiatives with academic partners. The workshop focused on mentorship, financing, technology, market access and convergence as strategies to strengthen the incubator model and ensure its long-term success.
Scaling women-led incubators under DAY-NRLM has potential to institutionalize rural enterprise ecosystems, reduce rural poverty, and enhance women's economic agency. Key policy challenges include ensuring equitable access to incubation services, reliable financing, market linkage infrastructure, and sustaining enterprises beyond incubation.
Relevant question for policy stakeholders: How can rural incubator models be integrated with national startup and MSME policies to scale women-led entrepreneurship beyond the SHG ecosystem?
Follow the full report/news here: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2165528