Microenterprises in India: A Multidimensional Analysis
roundtable co-hosted by GAME & APU
A roundtable conference was organized in collaboration with Azim Premji University (APU) and Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship (GAME), on the 12th of November at the IIC, New Delhi. The conference was an opportunity to explore the report ‘Microenterprises in India: A Multidimensional Analysis’ authored by Amit Basole of APU and Vidya Chandy of Chiratae Ventures.
The report offered insights on ‘key trends’ among microenterprises in India and set the context for discussion on policy and programmatic interventions in the near future. The convening was attended by Ram Mohan Mishra (Additional Secretary to the Government of India and Development Commissioner for the Ministry of MSME).
Some of the key takeaways were: According to the report, microenterprises are a major contributor to employment (employment in non- farm microenterprises grew from 108 million to 111.3 million between 2010 and 2015), but factors like low scale and low productivity hamper the growth of such enterprises. This problem becomes more pronounced for women-owned and rural enterprises. The proportion of women-owned enterprises that hire three or more workers is a mere 2.7 % as compared to men which are 6.3%. To enable more women-owned enterprises, home loans championed by SEWA, proved to be a useful solution to reduce asset poverty. This yields time savings (i.e. women can work & perform child/elder care simultaneously) while giving the freedom of a dedicated workspace. The localisation of skilling and market linkages can also promote the growth of women entrepreneurs. District officers should be empowered with clear targets to support local entrepreneurship growth.