Almost all public sector banks have special loan schemes for women entrepreneurs. But low awareness and a passive mindset ensure that there are very few takers

When Neeta Kumar, a 41-year-old entrepreneur from Lucknow, decided to set up an artificial village in the outskirts of the city, it took her a year-and-a-half to manage funds for her project. While running from pillar to post with her project report in tow, Kumar had a hard time convincing bank officials that Kala Gaon, her dream venture, would be a viable business proposition and that she would not default on her loan. During the course of her struggle for funding she even bumped into people who asked her to set up a shopping mall instead of a marketplace for artisans. Her ordeal finally came to an end in the spring of 2006 when she threw open the gates of Kala Gaon supported by a Rs 60 lakh loan from Punjab National Bank. Today, the theme village is a major tourist attraction in Lucknow and has given a platform to several rural artisans and sculptors.

Kumar’s story is quite common in a country where women are still hesitant to don the entrepreneur’s hat. Take the case of Kavita Singhal, a jewelery designer. “I belong to a family that has been in jewelery designing for years. Though my family was supportive of my decision to enter this trade, I needed funds to start my own venture,” she says. Singhal initially found it difficult to convince banks that she would be able to market her products and run a profitable venture. Eventually, she managed to convince Canara Bank, where she has had a savings bank account for many years, to grant her a loan of Rs 1 lakh. Today, she manages to sell jewelery worth Rs 30,000 to 35,000 per month through her own outlet that she plans to expand in the near future.

Almost all public sector banks run special schemes to fund women entrepreneurs; yet it proves to be difficult for women to acquire loans easily. This is partly because of the mindset of bank officials who believe that women will have to run that extra mile to market their products, making it hard to make decent sales. Low awareness about these schemes is another reason for their slow uptake. In this article, DARE gives an overview of the various schemes offered by nationalized banks, challenges that women entrepreneurs face when it comes to avail funding and tips on how to make the going easy.

The DNA of a woman entrepreneur
DARE spoke to a number of women entrepreneurs during the course of research on this story and found that there is a common thread linking most, if not all, of them. A typical woman entrepreneur belongs to two broad categories — she is either from a financially secure background and is willing to take risks with her own venture or she is from an economically weaker background and wants to start an enterprise to sustain her family. Ganesh Prabhu, a professor at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, corroborates the point and says, “Most of the women who come to women entrepreneurship workshops are either from well-to-do-families, who think the risk is worth taking or those who belong to the lower-income group and are interested in starting a business for survival.”

Women, typically, take up their hobbies as a business, especially when starting their enterprise singlehandedly. They generally get into businesses that interest them. This is evident from the fact that most women prefer starting home-based businesses from toy making and fashion designing to creating computer software.

According to Prof. Prabhu, “A woman entrepreneur will typically not think that since more people are doing a particular business and earning significant profits out of it they should enter the arena. Profit and size seems to be of less importance and satisfaction of doing it is of more importance to them.” He adds, “This is good in a way because this helps them to learn the basics well before they take bigger risks and invest high.”

Bank funding: Schemes and advantages
Several nationalized banks in India have special schemes for promoting entrepreneurship, especially enterprises owned by women. For a woman to benefit under such a scheme, she should have a minimum of 50% ownership in the company. According to Prof. Prabhu, “When a woman opts for the bank funding route, the assessment is made in the same way as other loans, but the terms and conditions are much favorable. Most of the nationalized banks in India have such schemes and also something called as the single-window coordination facility wherein one department will handle all the linkages required for getting the loan.”

“The bank liked my concept and was quick to offer a me a loan of Rs 3 lakh. The entire loan procedure took just about a little more than a week’s time and around five to six visits.” -- Vinnie Chaddha a beneficiary of the Dena Shakti scheme

Similarly, Dena Bank under the Dena Shakti scheme promotes women entrepreneurship by funding a number of activities. Earlier, the scheme covered only the manufacturing sector, but now has been extended to agriculture and allied activities, small enterprises, micro and small (manufacturing and service) enterprises, retail trade, micro-credit, education and housing. Dena Bank gives a concession of 0.25% on interest rate. As per the bank’s website, the loan ceiling is described as follows, “The maximum ceiling limits that can be considered for financing to women beneficiaries under this scheme will be as per the directives of RBI stipulated for various sectors under priority sector such as loans up to Rs 20 lakh under retail trade, Rs 20 lakh under education and housing and Rs 50,000 under micro credit as well as the bank’s specific schemes circulated to branches/offices from time to time.” Considering the fact that a bank has to disburse 5% of the previous year’s adjusted net bank credit (ANBC) to women under all schemes, Dena Bank has a target of approximately Rs 1,185 crore, according to a source.

Comments (7)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Alpanna Kreation
written by Alpanna Suratkar, May 21, 2010

I want to start women boutique chain stores in Maharashtra..
I have already started 2 boutiques in Pune and Aurangabad recently on my own money..
I have a small manufacturing Unit in Pune..
any body can guide me to expand my business..?

report abuse

vote down

vote up

Votes: +0

difficult to avil loan for setting up enterprise
written by payal shah, December 13, 2009

i am running computer trainign institue and want to develop my institute and i ask for fund /fnanace for my viable project to varous bank and NBF but , not get suitable schme and guidence for such project

report abuse

vote down

vote up

Votes: +0

Bank names and loan details
written by Navneeta Sahu, November 21, 2009

hi, thanks for this valuable information. am interested in starting my own business. Can u give the bank names and other loan process related details for setup of the business. Rigth now am working for an IT company wish to setup business such as Nursury or Candle making recycling unit or organic farming techinques institute. These are all my area of interest, please suggest me somthing about the business that i have mentioned above and help me in establishing.

report abuse

vote down

vote up

Votes: +1

Easy to get Loans for salaried and I.T payees how about the others?
written by Preetha, November 20, 2009

hi,i am a single women planing to start a gym.I have completed my M.B.A in HR but I am not working nor an I.T payee.My business capital estimation is 20lakhs.I would like to go for a loan with less interest rate.I would like to know is 100% loan availabe or what are the necessary thing i have to do to get a loan.I have site in bangalore can i mortgage and get a loan.Pl advice and give me a positive solution or other options how i can go about it.

report abuse

vote down

vote up

Votes: +1

Women Mean Business Conference - Entrepreneur Showcase Programme for Women
written by Kanwal Kaur, November 07, 2009

Entrepreneurs Showcase Programme at Women Mean Business Conference:
www.cbfwconference.org

We are trying to give an opportunity to women led enterprises to showcase their businesses at the conference. The conference will attract investors, media and professional so it would be a good marketing opportunity for businesses. Details are also in the attached document



Criteria for enterprises:



1. Businesses can be income generating or a non-profit venture.

2. Businesses could belong to any sector and industry

3. Business has to be growth business with opportunities to grow

4. No micro-enterprises; it has to be a growth business which has created jobs or has the prospect of doing so in the near future.



Fees of stall:

We are generally waiving off the fee of the table/counter for small businesses but any enterprises which can afford to pay fees, we’ll charge the fee on a sliding scale.



Facilities: As we are not trying to make a profit from this programme, we will only be able to provide a small table(4*6’) covered with white table cloth. Stalls will be placed in the networking areas so that they get maximum exposure.

Please contact Kanwal Kaur at kk@cherieblairfoundation.org

report abuse

vote down

vote up

Votes: +0

Eye-Opener for women entrepreneurs
written by Aarthi, November 05, 2009

I really love Dare for this kind of thoroughly analysed articles.This is really a good eye-opener for women entreprenueurs.Being a women entrepreneur myself, I could recount the hurdles we faced while starting-up the all women initiative - gharkamai.com.Thanks for enlightening many aspiring women entrepreneurs.

report abuse

vote down

vote up

Votes: +2

...
written by mahima srinivas pai, June 13, 2009

hi,i am impressed,but what rate of interest,guiadance for which industry to start for an architect in construction industry, scope of that industry,margine amount of loan,

report abuse

vote down

vote up

Votes: +2