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The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), in collaboration with NITI Aayog’s Women Entrepreneurship Platform, launched the ‘Swavalambini’ Women Entrepreneurship Programme in February 2025. The programme has been introduced as a pilot project across six higher education institutions and universities in Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana. It is being implemented through the National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD), Noida and the Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE), Guwahati.
Benefits of the Swavalambini Scheme for Women
The Swavalambini pilot project provides a step-by-step training structure designed to support young women in launching their own ventures and becoming successful entrepreneurs. The initiative aims to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset among female students and help them understand how entrepreneurship can be pursued as a career option. It also creates awareness about available government schemes, resources, support systems and networks.
Under this project, 1,200 female students are being covered initially through the Entrepreneurship Awareness Programme (EAP), which offers foundational training. Out of these, 600 participants are selected for the Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP). This stage includes intensive training on key business aspects such as skill development, access to finance, market linkages, legal and compliance support, business services and networking opportunities. Following this, participants receive 21 weeks of mentorship and handholding support to help transform their ideas into sustainable enterprises.
The implementation, supervision and monitoring of the programme will be overseen by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. Meanwhile, NITI Aayog will organise workshops, provide mentorship support, facilitate seed funding and recognise successful entrepreneurs under the Award to Reward (ATR) initiative.
During the mentorship phase, experienced industry leaders and successful entrepreneurs will guide participants by offering advisory and practical support. They will share their experiences, including the challenges faced while starting their businesses and the strategies adopted to overcome them.
The programme also includes a Faculty Development Programme (FDP), under which a five-day training session will be conducted for faculty members of higher education institutions and universities. This initiative aims to equip educators with the necessary skills to mentor and guide aspiring women entrepreneurs within their institutions. The programme has already commenced and is currently under implementation.
MSDE has allocated a total of INR 40,46,016 to NIESBUD and IIE for training purposes, out of which INR 10,11,504 has already been released to the implementing institutions. At present, the programme is being implemented as a pilot project in higher education institutions across Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana. There is currently no proposal under consideration to expand it to Andhra Pradesh.
To monitor the progress and outcomes of the programme, the Ministry has established a robust monitoring and evaluation mechanism in collaboration with NITI Aayog. This information was provided in a written reply in the Lok Sabha by Shri Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
