Union Minister Jitendra Singh has announced that over 76,000 Indian startups are currently led by women, with a substantial proportion emerging from tier 2 and tier 3 cities. Speaking at a conference in New Delhi, Singh asserted that India’s development trajectory toward 2047 will be fundamentally shaped by empowered women and youth, echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to women-led growth under his governance paradigm.
Singh declared that the last 11 years of governance have been structured around four pillars—the Poor, Farmers, Youth and Women—and that targeted women-centric policies have now evolved into systemic leadership reforms. “Women-centric governance has not only empowered individuals, but reshaped society,” he said.
To deepen this agenda, Singh launched the Jeevika E-Learning Management System App to provide accessible learning tools for women and released the publication “Shashakt Mahila, Samriddh Bihar,” which documents women’s contributions to Bihar’s socio-economic advancement.
Outlining the Modi government’s comprehensive empowerment strategy, Singh explained that Phase One focused on institutional access and inclusion—redefining education and military participation. Phase Two, built around scientific and technological agency, introduced programs like WISE, GATI, CURIE and the Women Scientist Programme, aimed at advancing women in science and engineering.
Phase Three emphasized economic and social empowerment. Singh highlighted that over 480 million Jan Dhan accounts have been opened in women’s names, while more than 60 percent of beneficiaries under the Mudra Yojana are women entrepreneurs. He also noted the rise of more than 30 million ‘Lakhpati Didis’—rural women earning Rs 100,000 or more annually through Self-Help Groups—who are reshaping village economies. Additionally, homes registered in women’s names under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana have bolstered financial security and social standing for women at the household level.
Phase Four has ushered in workplace reform and legal sensitivity with inclusive governance measures such as six-month paid childcare leave for women in government service, pension rights for unmarried and divorced dependent daughters, and maternity benefits extended to cases involving stillbirth.
Singh concluded that what began as welfare has matured into structural redefinition, and that India’s success as a developed nation will rely on sustaining this momentum and unlocking the full potential of its women-led enterprises.
