The ambitious Udyam Sakhi Portal, launched by the Government of India in 2018 to empower women entrepreneurs across the country, has struggled to achieve its intended impact. According to recent data presented by Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Jitan Ram Manjhi in the Lok Sabha during the monsoon session, only 4,535 women entrepreneurs have registered and benefited from the portal since its inception seven years ago.
A Digital Platform with Grand Ambitions
The Udyam Sakhi Portal was conceived as a comprehensive digital solution for women entrepreneurs in India’s MSME sector. Operating under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, the platform was designed to serve as a single-window system providing crucial support to both existing and aspiring women business owners.
The portal’s primary objectives include offering information and guidance on financial schemes and subsidies, government policies and programmes, training and skill development opportunities, and market linkages with handholding support. This one-stop digital platform aimed to bridge the information gap that often prevents women from accessing government benefits and entrepreneurial opportunities.
Implementation and Management
The development and maintenance of the Udyam Sakhi Portal has been handled by the Institute for Design of Electrical Measuring Instruments (IDEMI), Mumbai, an autonomous body operating under the Ministry of MSME. The financial responsibility for the portal’s operations has been entirely borne by IDEMI, demonstrating the government’s commitment to supporting women entrepreneurs through institutional mechanisms.
The Numbers Tell a Different Story
Despite the portal’s comprehensive design and institutional backing, the statistics reveal a concerning picture. With only 4,535 women entrepreneurs having registered and benefited from the platform over seven years, the reach appears significantly limited considering India’s vast entrepreneurial landscape.
This figure becomes even more striking when viewed against the broader context of women’s participation in the MSME sector. According to the Minister’s statement, women-owned enterprises constitute approximately 39% of all enterprises registered on the Udyam and Udyam Assist portals. This substantial representation in overall MSME registrations makes the Udyam Sakhi Portal’s limited reach particularly noteworthy.
Government’s Broader Efforts
The Ministry of MSME has acknowledged making sustained efforts toward inclusiveness and promoting digital registration of women entrepreneurs. These initiatives have been implemented through field offices and in coordination with state governments and MSME associations. The success of these broader efforts is evident in the significant 39% representation of women-owned enterprises in the general Udyam registration system.
The Contrast in Performance
The stark difference between the general Udyam platform’s success in attracting women entrepreneurs and the Udyam Sakhi Portal’s limited reach raises important questions about the effectiveness of specialized platforms versus mainstream registration systems. While the broader Udyam ecosystem has successfully engaged a substantial number of women entrepreneurs, the dedicated portal designed specifically for women has not achieved similar traction.
Looking Forward
The limited success of the Udyam Sakhi Portal highlights the challenges in digital outreach and the need for more effective implementation strategies. Despite the government’s good intentions and institutional support, the portal’s impact remains minimal compared to its potential reach in a country where women entrepreneurship is gaining momentum.
The substantial presence of women-owned enterprises on regular MSME platforms suggests that women entrepreneurs are actively seeking government support and registration. However, the specialized portal’s underperformance indicates that either awareness about the platform is insufficient, or the services offered may not be meeting the specific needs of women entrepreneurs effectively.
The Udyam Sakhi Portal’s journey over the past seven years serves as an important case study in digital governance and targeted policy implementation. While the initiative represents the government’s recognition of women entrepreneurs’ specific needs, its limited impact underscores the importance of robust outreach mechanisms and user-centric design in public digital platforms.
