At 23.42%, Bengal tops India in women-owned MSMEs

Kolkata: West Bengal has emerged as the top scorer in the landscape of women-owned MSMEs accounting for 23.42 per cent share of female-owned enterprises, according to the MSME Annual Report 2023- 24 published by the union government.

“Proud to announce on the eve of the Devi Paksha (fortnight of the Goddess) that in the MSME Annual Report 2023-24 published by the Government of India’s Ministry of MSME, West Bengal has emerged as the top scorer in the landscape of women-owned micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Wonderfully, the state ranks first in the share of all MSMEs owned by females, accounting for an impressive 23.42% of female-owned enterprises, across the country,” Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote on her X handle.

She further reiterated that the figure highlights West Bengal’s progressive approach to empowering women entrepreneurs and underscores the vital role they play in the state’s economic development.

Interestingly, Bengal in this respect is far ahead of Tamil Nadu that has 10.37 per cent of MSMEs in the country.

Bengal is presently home to 90 lakh MSMEs employing 1.3 crore people.

The state’s MSME system has largely revolved around clusters and has helped the state’s investment, employment and export.

The number of MSMEs and people seeking employment in them is among the highest in the country.