Navigating the Udyam Sakhi Portal for Women Entrepreneurs

Shri Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma, Minister of State for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, recently shared the data about the Udyam Sakhi Portal and its beneficiaries in the Lok Sabha. The data released indicated that as of December 2023, 1136 women entrepreneurs benefitted from using the platform, of which 580 were from Maharashtra, 553 from Tamil Nadu, and 3 from Andaman and Nicobar. Additionally, the platform benefitted 194 women belonging to the Scheduled Caste, 582 OBC, and 3 belonging to scheduled tribes. It is therefore pertinent for women entrepreneurs to know about this platform.

The Udyam Sakhi Portal provides information on numerous financial schemes, policies, and programs, as well as the supporting institutions that operate under the administrative authority of the Ministry of MSME to empower women entrepreneurs.

The Udyam Sakhi portal offers women the following services:

1. Financial Schemes of the Ministry of MSME and other central Ministries/Departments such as the PMEGP, CGTMSE, MUDRA, TReDS, etc.

2. Policy and Programs of the Ministry of MSME and other Central Ministries.

3. Details on how to create a business strategy.

4. Information about the Ministry of MSME's Nodal Offices/Supporting Organizations in the different States/UTs.

The Ministry of MSME provides information on exhibitions, trade fairs, and international events. The Institute for Design of Electrical Measuring Instruments (IDEMI), an agency under the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MoMSME), spent Rs. 43.52 lakhs on creating the Udyam Sakhi Portal.

The Udyam Sakhi Portal therefore assists in distributing information to women entrepreneurs about government schemes, policies, and activities, hence promoting women's empowerment.