In recent years, women-led businesses have emerged as transformative forces, driving inclusive growth and reshaping economies with creativity, resilience, and compassion. These “fempreneurs” are not just challenging outdated business models — they are rewriting them. From healthtech and fintech to rural microenterprises, women are redefining leadership and success on their own terms.
As we enter 2025, this is no longer a fringe movement — it is a defining one. These ventures are grounded in purpose and social value, creating lasting impact for marginalised communities while contributing to a more equitable entrepreneurial landscape.
India exemplifies this transformation. According to the Women Entrepreneurs Review, the number of women-led startups in the country surged from 600 in 2020 to 14,400 by 2025. Globally, this aligns with a broader trend. The GEM 2023/24 report notes that women’s entrepreneurial activity rose from 6.1% in the early 2000s to over 10% in 2023 across 30 countries, with participation doubling in nations like France and the Netherlands. This growth is fueled by improved access to education, digital skills, credit, and mentorship — alongside a cultural shift recognising the economic power of women.
The potential economic impact of this shift is profound. According to the McKinsey Global Institute, advancing gender equality could add $12 trillion to global GDP by 2025. In India alone, closing the gender gap in labor force participation could increase the country’s GDP by 27%. Investing in women entrepreneurs is not just socially imperative — it’s economically essential.
Programs like Women in Digital Business (WIDB) have empowered over 30,000 women to thrive in tech-driven markets. Meanwhile, venture funds such as SHE Capital are addressing gender funding gaps, and government schemes like MUDRA and Stand-Up India are democratising access to capital. With the help of social media, e-commerce platforms, and digital payments, women can now build scalable businesses from anywhere — reaching global audiences without relying on traditional infrastructure.
Yet the gender funding gap remains stark. According to the World Bank, only 7% of global venture capital goes to women-led businesses. In India, a 2024 NITI Aayog report revealed that less than 5% of VC funding in the past five years was allocated to female founders.
This is despite compelling evidence that women entrepreneurs deliver strong returns: a 2023 BCG study found that startups founded or co-founded by women generate 10% more revenue per dollar invested than male-led startups over five years.
In the U.S., women-owned businesses employ 9.4 million people and generate $1.9 trillion annually. Interestingly, despite receiving less funding, women-led startups often outperform their peers in long-term profitability.
In India’s tier-2 towns and rural pockets, schemes like PMGKY and Annapurna Yojana are enabling women to launch enterprises in underexplored sectors like femtech, rural finance, and community health. These businesses aren’t just financially successful — they’re mission-driven, offering solutions to real societal problems.
The momentum is particularly visible in regions with targeted state support. For instance, women-run businesses in Kerala, Telangana, and Gujarat grew by over 60% from 2020 to 2024, backed by local incubators and grants. Telangana’s WE-Hub alone has supported over 3,000 women entrepreneurs, many from marginalised communities, demonstrating how public-private partnerships can accelerate gender-inclusive development.
Equally crucial is the emergence of dedicated support networks. Platforms like WIN, WE Hub, and SheLeadsTech provide mentorship, funding access, and strategic guidance. These are more than support systems — they are influence hubs. WIN’s presence at Davos 2025 underscores how women are shaping not only business models but also economic policies.
Moreover, women-led start-ups are fostering genuinely inclusive work cultures — hiring returnees, people with disabilities, and talent from smaller towns. This approach is rooted in equity and authenticity, not tokenism, and is proving to be both socially impactful and commercially smart.
India is also seeing a rise in women pursuing tech and STEM careers. According to UNESCO, 35% of STEM students globally are women, and India has witnessed a 22% increase in female enrollment in tech degrees since 2020.
The Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA) has empowered over 6.5 million rural women with basic digital literacy — unlocking entrepreneurial potential in even the most underserved regions.
Challenges remain — cultural biases, mentorship gaps in remote regions, and limited access to capital — but women entrepreneurs are actively addressing them. They’re shaping policy, mentoring peers, and building financial literacy platforms. Each success story opens doors for others, expanding the ecosystem. Women are no longer a rising segment in entrepreneurship — they are becoming its architects.
Through scalable innovation, empathetic leadership, and community-first approaches, they are building not just businesses, but a more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable world.
Looking ahead, women-led innovation is poised to define the future of global entrepreneurship. These ventures will not just disrupt traditional industries — they will lead breakthroughs in climate tech, digital health, and social impact finance.
As they scale, these leaders will influence investor strategies, reshape leadership norms, and drive policy reforms that foster inclusive, sustainable growth for generations to come.
(Sheeba Khan is the CEO of Shiv Nadar-Atal Incubation Center, Shiv Nadar University, Delhi-NCR. Views expressed are her own.)
