New Delhi, Mar 2 (KNN) Union Minister of MSMEs, Narayan Rane praised the remarkable surge in women entrepreneurship within the MSME sector, with over 1.40 crore MSMEs now led by women.

Speaking at the 9th Annual Shakti International Women Entrepreneurs Summit in New Delhi, Rane celebrated the unprecedented rise, while assuring free Zed Certification for women owned MSMEs.

The summit witnessed the launch of three significant initiatives. The first, "Panjikaran Se Pragati," is a joint campaign by the Ministry of MSME and Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP), aimed at encouraging women entrepreneurs to register with Udyam for expanded opportunities. 

The second initiative, "WEP Unnati- Udyamita se Pragati tak," is a collaborative program focused on elevating Women MSMEs through the Award-to-Reward (ATR) scheme, providing comprehensive capacity building support via WEP. 

Lastly, the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) introduced a mentorship platform.

The event was attended by notable figures, including S.C.L. Das, Secretary, Anna Roy, Senior Advisor Niti Aayog, Mercy Epao, JS – SME, and Dr. Ishita Ganguli Tripathy, Additional Development Commissioner, Office of DC-MSME, alongside women entrepreneurs, industry experts, and government leaders.

The annual Shakti International Women Entrepreneurs Summit, held in observance of International Women's Day, aims to empower aspiring and established women entrepreneurs while celebrating the achievements of emerging women entrepreneurs across various industry sectors. 

Hosted by the India SME Forum and the Ministry of MSME in association with the Women Entrepreneurs Forum, the event provided participants with insights from successful women entrepreneurs and international experts, fostering discussions on business innovation, leadership, and achieving excellence in entrepreneurship.

(KNN Bureau)