Challenges Faced by the Scheduled Castes Women Entrepreneurs in Selected Districts of India
Dr. K. Sreenivasa Murthy
Associate Professor,
Department of Management,
School of Commerce & Business Management,
Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur,
Tamilnadu, India.
E-Mail –drkotamurthy@gmail.com
Dr. M. Subramanyam
Professor and Director,
School of Commerce
REVA University, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
E-Mail-drmutyala2013@gmail.com
Ph.D. Research Scholar
Department of Management
School of Commerce & Business Management,
Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur,
Tamilnadu, India.
This paper attempts to analyze the causes of the plight of Scheduled Castes in general and Scheduled castes women in select districts of India in particular. Developmental measures affect day-to-day life intimately, and the degree of access of an individual/group to basic amenities and services reflects its relative status in society. Therefore, the constitutional commitment to usher in equality in social relations can at once be tested through the distributional aspects of development. This study used an inclusive questionnaire that focused on micro and macro variables such as utilization and availability of financial resources, the competition faced in the industry, raw material and labour problems, sales and marketing of the products, etc. So, to study the situational aspects, a total of 1170 Women Entrepreneurs from Scheduled castes were surveyed in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Orissa, and Tamil Nadu. Two districts from each State with high SC populations were selected from the four Indian states. The survey was conducted over a three years’ period, from January 2017 through February 2020. Participants were selected based on the Multi-Stage Random Sampling method, and qualitative data were collected from the participants with their consent. Most of the participants are Small, Micro and medium entrepreneurs who are all Women. Chief entrepreneurial practices observed among the participants are Agriculture, Dairy Farms, Poultry, Tailoring and other small business activities such as running small grocery outlets. Data regarding the problems of the entrepreneurs and their opinions regarding possible solutions is collected with the help of a questionnaire. The Chi-square test is used in this study to find out the relationship between the type of entrepreneurial activity chosen by the women with the ease of finding capital for business and the capacity to source raw material for the business was tested. Results show that nearly 70% of the sample population face finance-related problems while conducting business, and there seems to be a significant relationship between the tested variables in the study.
Key Words: Entrepreneurship, Woman Empowerment, Scheduled Castes, Small and Medium Business, Entrepreneurial Problems.
Introduction
In India, since ancient times, specific segments of society have been marginalized and stigmatized due to unjustifiable bias and Prejudice. Apart from a handful of scandalous issues that India has been fighting for a very long time, discrimination against fellow humans on the lines of caste and creed is dismay that the country cannot afford to continue, given its current growth position. If one could go down through the lanes of World history, oppression and discrimination are terms that exist at every corner of the literature. Despite illustrating Pluralism as social fabric, India is no exception for this, and ironically it induced oppression and discrimination in its Social and cultural identity.
SCs (Scheduled Castes) are people of India with a considerable population in many states. They are frequently subjected to direct and indirect caste discrimination that stemmed from the unpragmatic exhibition of chauvinistic privileges presumably justified by greed and fear. This phenomenon is called Casteism, which involves categorizing people into social classes based on lineage and birth. The lower Class are demeaned by other classes and attributed to the social stigma of low-grade workers. In many places across India, the Scheduled Caste communities lack access to safe drinking water sources, a clean living environment, and education and health facilities. The economic conditions in most of them make it impossible to avail of avenues of decent living. The combination of all these features defines their highly unequal position and demoralized and submissive existence.
With globalization and knowledge-based societies spreading like wildfire in the world today, the realization of women's crucial role in human development has been gaining acceptance. Women today face many challenges and will face newer ones in future. They will now have to face more stringent forms of competition. They will have to polish their existing skill of wealth creation and time management to deal with the challenges of the 21st century. They will have to devote more and more time to acquiring new skills and knowledge, which now run the wheels of business and industry in the world.
Review of Literature
There are about 250 million Dalits in India as of 2022. There has been a meagre improvement in the socio-economic condition of Dalits in the past 50 years, which was relatively meagre when compared to non-Dalits. Every fourth Indian is a Dalit, and there is no proper survey to give the correct number of Dalit women in India. They are generally scattered in rural areas and villages. According to the 2021 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), about one-third of India's Dalit population live below the poverty line. The economic backwardness of Dalits is primarily due to injustice done to them by the high castes and exploitation. From times immemorial, they worked like slaves, sold as commodities resulting in their social discrimination, economic deprivation and educational backwardness.
In their study, Pratto and Felicia 2016, signified individual agencies that work on schemes and programs for powerless and weaker sections, are more likely to fail to notice the limited agentic capcities of the powerless. Disempowered people are due to various reason gets confounded in the institutional voids (Mair et al. 2012), which reflects in decreased market participation, impaired access to resources and inefficient flow of information and knowedge between stakeholders, which if otherwise efficient, would have led the less powerful to exercise their agency (Bastian and Zali 2016; Chesney and Chesler 1993).
Women empowerment is the term that has been continuously on the agenda of many developmental programs in India. When there is scalding inequity in the Society in the form social classes, the overarching aim of of Women empowerment is dismantled, since women belong to different social classes and and are exposed uneven levels of fairness and opportunities. Empowerment can be envisioned as a process that applies to people that are disempowered (relative to others) because of prejudice, bigotry and marginalization; the process additionally applies to societies/groups that need justification in terms of equality and (Kabeer 1999; Mosedale 2005).
Access to these resources is, however, greatly influenced by the institutional environment (e.g., cultural and regulatory), which reflects prevailing power structures and favours particular social groups (Anderson and Lent 2017; De la Chaux et al. 2018). Therefore, social inclusion of the marginalised into relevant institutions and their involvement in decision-making processes are essential for empowerment to be successful (Narayan-Parker 2005). Participatory organisational structures give women the chance to communicate with key stakeholders outside of the conventional home milieu, which helps to reduce their social isolation (Datta and Gailey 2012). In contrast, societies with institutions that support women's participation in activities outside of the home would see significant entrepreneurial activity among women (Pathak et al., 2013). Additionally, patriarchy's pervasive presence in the family, society, and state institutions has presented women business owners with a number of difficulties, both in regular times and during COVID-19. (Milazzo & Goldstein, 2019; Singh, 2019; Fafchamps & Quinn, 2018; OECD, 2020; UN Women, 2020; Pandey & Pillai, 2020; Mehrotra & Giri, 2019; Bargotra et al., 2021; Ebert, 2021)
In Econometrics and Social science research, the empowerment of Women has garnered lot of interest (Al-Dajani and Marlow 2013; Wood et al. 2021; Ojediran and Anderson 2020). It is the pinnacle step to be followed by government and institutions in order to accomplish social equity, gender equity and is considered a precursor to combat poverty and attain socio-economic development (UNDP 2018).
Objectives
Methodology
In view of the specific objectives of the present study as already stated, both primary and secondary data are used. The study focused majorly on primary data of on the sample women in the scheduled castes in the select districts of the sample states in India. Further the study intends to make use of the various published and unpublished reports of the Andhra Pradesh State Financial Corporation (APSFC), the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Development Corporation (APIDC), Commissioner of Small-Scale Industries, the District Industries Centres (DICs) and District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) for generating ideological support to this research study.
Sample Design
The present study intends to use the multi-stage random sampling technique. In all the 4 states chosen for conducting an in-depth research pertaining to Empowerment of Women through Entrepreneurship Development, to have a representative sample for the whole states, 2 districts will be selected from each State at random. The women in scheduled castes will be listed out in the states and in the sample districts. From the list prepared, the study tried and administered the questionnaire to 1600 women from the four states. But only 1170 responses from the participants were considered due to invalidity of 430 responses. SC Women are selected in each district following the quota sampling procedure and giving equal representation to all women with varied income levels. Thus, the total sampling of women in all the 8 (4 x2) districts of the 4 states will be 1600 (8x200).
Data Collection
For the study both qualitative and quantitative primary data will be collected using pre-tested questionnaires prepared separately for the women on the one hand and for the Departments concerned the other. The various aspects of data to be collected from the select women include their socio-economic profile, aims and ambitions, motivating factors, facilitating factors, promotional measures by the Government, factors hindering their growth, factors influencing their performance, problems in the area of grounding, production, finance, marketing, etc. It is proposed to construct a schedule with 50 questions on the various aspects mentioned above to elicit firsthand information from the sample women entrepreneurs. The questionnaire set for them will be structured with close-end questions, in order to facilitate them to choose their answers from the questionnaire itself. To complete one questionnaire by the respondents it will take approximately 40 - 45 minutes. Appropriate coding for all the questions will also be given for facilitating computerization of the primary data. Further, the published and unpublished records and reports of various institutions will also be collected for this purpose. Apart from these, structured and unstructured interviews will also be conducted with experts on the subject.
The problems vary widely from unit to unit, place to place and entrepreneur to entrepreneur; the unit's performance reveals the magnitude of the impact of these problems on the units and on the huge investments made by financial institutions.
The sample entrepreneurs were asked about the difficulties experienced by their units regarding finance, marketing, raw materials, labour, infrastructural, technical and managerial guidance. They were asked to mark the problems they faced and emphasize the nature of the particular difficulties they encountered. For instance, if the problem was regarding finance, the entrepreneur was requested to clearly specify whether it related to the dearth of capital, high interest, inadequate assistance, red-tapism, etc. Similarly, the enquiry was carried on other problems.
Financial Problems
In the sample area, we have observed that most women entrepreneurs face many problems, and financial problems are the major ones.
Tables 1 to 1.2 unveil the scenario of women entrepreneurs' financial problems in the sample area.
Table No- 1
Financial Problems
|
Entrepreneurial Activity |
STATE |
Total |
|||||||||||
|
Andhra Pradesh |
Orissa |
Tamilnadu |
Kerala |
||||||||||
|
|
A1 |
A2 |
Total |
O1 |
O2 |
Total |
T1 |
T2 |
Total |
K1 |
K2 |
Total |
|
|
Yes |
110 (82.71%) |
126 (76.36%) |
236 (79.20) |
123 (79.87%) |
110 (74. 32%) |
233 (77.2%) |
85 (51.52%) |
111 (62.71%) |
196 (57.30) |
65 (56.03%) |
72 (64.29%) |
137 (60.10) |
802 (68.50) |
|
No |
23 17.29% |
39 23.64% |
62 (20.80) |
31 20.13% |
38 25.68% |
69 (22.8) |
80 48.48% |
66 37.29% |
146 (42.70) |
51 43.97% |
40 35.71% |
91 (39.90) |
368 (31.50) |
|
Total |
133 (100.) |
165 (100.) |
298 (100.) |
154 (100.) |
148 (100.) |
302 (100.) |
165 (100.) |
177 (100.) |
342 (100) |
116 (100.) |
112 (100.) |
228 (100.) |
1170 (100.) |
Note: Figures in parentheses indicate percentages to totals.
Source: Researcher's compilation.
The table above reveals the financial problems of the women entrepreneurs in the sample areas. Out of the 1170 women entrepreneurs, 68.50 per cent (802) are facing a financial crisis, and 31.50 per cent (368) are not facing any financial crisis. If we observe it state-wise, 236 (110 from A1 district and 126 from A2 district), followed by 233 (123 from O1 district and 110 from O2 district), 196 (85 from T1 district and 111 from T2 district), and 137 (65 from K1 and 72 from K2 district) entrepreneurs were facing problems in Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Kerala respectively. It is observed that Andhra Pradesh and Orissa entrepreneurs face many financial issues.
Table No-1.1
Financial Problems wise Type of Activity
|
Financial Problem |
TYPE OF ACTIVITY |
Total |
|||||
|
Agriculture |
Dairy |
Poultry |
Business |
Tailoring |
Others |
||
|
Yes |
146 (67.90) |
145 (64.70) |
110 (62.50) |
159 (67.90) |
98 (68.50) |
144 (80.90) |
802 (68.50) |
|
No |
69 (32.10) |
79 (35.30) |
66 (37.50) |
75 (32.10) |
45 (31.50) |
34 (19.10) |
368 (31.50) |
|
Total |
215 (100.00) |
224 (100.00) |
176 (100.00) |
234 (100.00) |
143 (100.00) |
178 (100.00) |
1170 (100.00) |
Note: Figures in parentheses indicate percentages to totals.
Source: Researcher's compilation.
|
Chi-Square Tests |
|||
|
|
Value |
Df |
Asymp. Sig. (2-sided) |
|
Pearson Chi-Square |
17.173(a) |
5 |
0.004* |
The Chi-square value of 17.173, along with the correction, is significant at 0.05 level of significance, indicating some relationship between the financial problems and the type of activity undertaken by the entrepreneurs. The above table shows the kind of activity-wise financial problems faced by the entrepreneurs in sample areas. In this table, we look at the types of entrepreneurship-wise financial problems. Of them, 67.90 per cent (146), followed by 64.70 per cent (145), 62.50 per cent (110), 67.90 per cent (159), 68.50 per cent (98), and 80.90 per cent (144) are facing financial problems, and those types of activity as agriculture, dairy, poultry, business, tailoring and others respectively. It is observed that most entrepreneurs are facing financial issues.
Table No-1.2
Details of the Financial Problems (Multiple Reponses)
|
Problem |
STATE |
Total |
|||||||||||||||
|
ANDHRA PRADESH |
ORISSA |
TAMILNADU |
KERALA |
||||||||||||||
|
A1 |
A2 |
No Response |
Total |
O1 |
O2 |
No Response |
Total |
T1 |
T2 |
No Response |
Total |
K1 |
K2 |
No Response |
Total |
Affirmative |
|
|
Shortage of fixed capital |
71 |
65 |
162 |
298 |
72 |
50 |
180 |
302 |
60 |
46 |
236 |
342 |
36 |
28 |
164 |
228 |
428 |
|
23.83% |
21.81% |
54.36% |
100.00% |
23.84% |
16.56% |
59.60% |
100.00% |
17.54% |
13.45% |
69.01% |
100.00% |
15.79% |
12.28% |
71.93% |
100.00% |
36.58% |
|
|
Shortage of working capital |
95 |
87 |
116 |
298 |
92 |
74 |
136 |
302 |
62 |
86 |
194 |
342 |
59 |
40 |
129 |
228 |
595 |
|
31.88% |
29.19% |
38.93% |
100.00% |
30.46% |
24.50% |
45.03% |
100.00% |
18.13% |
25.15% |
56.73% |
100.00% |
25.88% |
17.54% |
56.58% |
100.00% |
50.85% |
|
|
Shortage of fixed and working capital |
100 |
92 |
106 |
298 |
97 |
90 |
115 |
302 |
78 |
65 |
199 |
342 |
60 |
52 |
116 |
228 |
634 |
|
33.56% |
30.87% |
35.57% |
100.00% |
32.12% |
29.80% |
38.08% |
100.00% |
22.81% |
19.01% |
58.19% |
100.00% |
26.32% |
22.81% |
50.88% |
100.00% |
54.19% |
|
|
High rate of interest |
91 |
80 |
127 |
298 |
100 |
92 |
110 |
302 |
80 |
70 |
192 |
342 |
45 |
67 |
116 |
228 |
625 |
|
30.54% |
26.85% |
42.62% |
100.00% |
33.11% |
30.46% |
36.42% |
100.00% |
23.39% |
20.47% |
56.14% |
100.00% |
19.74% |
29.39% |
50.88% |
100.00% |
53.42% |
|
|
Other |
17 |
12 |
269 |
298 |
21 |
12 |
269 |
302 |
23 |
18 |
301 |
342 |
17 |
6 |
205 |
228 |
126 |
|
5.70% |
4.03% |
90.27% |
100.00% |
6.95% |
3.97% |
89.07% |
100.00% |
6.73% |
5.26% |
88.01% |
100.00% |
7.46% |
2.63% |
89.91% |
100.00% |
10.77% |
|
Note: Figures in parentheses indicate percentages to totals.
Source: Researcher's compilation.
Table 1.2 reveals details about the nature of financial problems experienced and the numbers of entrepreneurs who experienced them. Of the total sample, 36.58 per cent (428) face problems related to fixed capital. At the same time, 50.85 per cent (595) face working capital problems, followed by 54.19 per cent (634) facing a shortage of fixed capital and working capital, 53.42 per cent (625) facing a high rate of interest problem, 10.77 per cent (126) facing other financial issues.
A closer look at the table gives the state-wise breakdown of financial issues. It is evident from the data that the majority of the sample, i.e., 634 respondents, faced a shortage of fixed and working capital. Out of them, 192 entrepreneurs from Andhra Pradesh (100 from A1 district and 92 from A2 district), followed by 187 entrepreneurs from Orissa (97 from O1 district and 90 from O2 district), 143 entrepreneurs from Tamil Nadu (78 from T1 district and 65 from T2 district) and 112 entrepreneurs from Kerala (60 from K1 and 52 from K2 district) are facing problems related to fixed and working capital.
Raw Materials
The raw material problem arises due to scarcity of raw material or its high price or low quality. Sometimes the situation could have been because of transportation bottlenecks and the like. The following table - 2 shows the overview of the problem faced by entrepreneurs on account of raw materials.
Table No-2
Sufficient Material
|
Sufficient Material |
STATE |
Total |
|||||||||||
|
Andhra Pradesh |
Orissa |
Tamilnadu |
Kerala |
||||||||||
|
|
A1 |
A2 |
Total |
O1 |
O2 |
Total |
T1 |
T2 |
Total |
K1 |
K2 |
Total |
|
|
Yes |
66 40.49% |
52 31.90% |
118 (39.60) |
62 38.27% |
50 35.71% |
112 (37.10) |
80 44.44% |
69 42.59% |
149 (43.60) |
71 55.04% |
59 59.60% |
130 (57.00) |
509 (43.50) |
|
No |
97 59.51% |
83 50.92% |
180 (60.40) |
100 61.73% |
90 64.29% |
190 (62.90) |
100 55.56% |
93 57.41% |
193 (56.40) |
58 44.96% |
40 40.40% |
98 (43.00) |
661 (56.50) |
|
Total |
163 (100.00) |
135 (100.00) |
298 (100.00) |
162 (100.00) |
140 (100.00) |
302 (100.00) |
180 (100.00) |
162 (100.00) |
342 (100.00) |
129 (100.00) |
99 (100.00) |
228 (100.00) |
1170 (100.00) |
Note: Figures in parentheses indicate percentages to totals.
Source: Researcher's compilation.
The table above shows an overview of the problems of raw materials faced by the entrepreneurs. Of the 1170 entrepreneurs, 43.50 per cent (509) are not facing any issues while getting raw material, while 56.50 per cent (661) are facing the problem. If we look at the State-wise statistics, 180 (97 from A1 district and 83 from A2 district), followed by 190 (100 from O1 district and 90 from O2 district), 193 (100 from T1 district and 93 from T2 district), and 98 (58 from K1 and 40 from K2 district) are facing raw material problem in Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Kerala respectively. It is observed that a greater part of the sample population is facing issues with the sourcing of raw materials.
Table No-2.1
Sufficient material-wise Type of Activity
|
Sufficient Material |
TYPE OF ACTIVITY |
Total |
|||||
|
Agriculture |
Diary |
Poultry |
Business |
Tailoring |
Others |
||
|
Yes |
99 (46.00) |
98 (43.80) |
70 (39.80) |
132 (56.40) |
55 (38.50) |
55 (30.90) |
509 (43.50) |
|
No |
116 (54.00) |
126 (56.30) |
106 (60.20) |
102 (43.60) |
88 (61.50) |
123 (69.10) |
661 (56.50) |
|
Total |
215 (100.00) |
224 (100.00) |
176 (100.00) |
234 (100.00) |
143 (100.00) |
178 (100.00) |
1170 (100.00) |
Note: Figures in parentheses indicate percentages to totals.
Source: Researcher's compilation.
Chi-Square Tests |
|||
|
|
Value |
df |
Asymp. Sig. (2-sided) |
|
Pearson Chi-Square |
30.413(a) |
5 |
0.00* |
The Chi-square value of 30.413, along with the correction, is significant at a 0.05 level of significance, indicating some relationship between the problem of sufficient materials and the type of activity of the entrepreneurs. The above table 2.1 shows the activity-wise raw material problem of the entrepreneurs. Of them, 46.00 per cent(99), followed by 43.80 per cent (98), 39.80 per cent (70), 56.40 per cent (132), 38.50 per cent (55) and 30.90 per cent (55) are facing raw material problems in agriculture, dairy, poultry, business, tailoring and other respectively.
|
Problem |
STATE |
Total |
|||||||||||||||
|
ANDHRA PRADESH |
ORISSA |
TAMILNADU |
KERALA |
||||||||||||||
|
A1 |
A2 |
No Response |
Total |
O1 |
O2 |
No Response |
Total |
T1 |
T2 |
No Response |
Total |
K1 |
K2 |
No Response |
Total |
Affirmative |
|
|
Scarcity |
30 |
23 |
245 |
298 |
32 |
27 |
243 |
302 |
37 |
25 |
280 |
342 |
18 |
10 |
200 |
228 |
202 |
|
10.07% |
7.72% |
82.21% |
100.00% |
10.60% |
8.94% |
80.46% |
100.00% |
10.82% |
7.31% |
81.87% |
100.00% |
7.89% |
4.39% |
87.72% |
100.00% |
17.26% |
|
|
High price |
52 |
40 |
206 |
298 |
52 |
49 |
201 |
302 |
60 |
53 |
229 |
342 |
29 |
34 |
165 |
228 |
369 |
|
17.45% |
13.42% |
69.13% |
100.00% |
17.22% |
16.23% |
66.56% |
100.00% |
17.54% |
15.50% |
66.96% |
100.00% |
12.72% |
14.91% |
72.37% |
100.00% |
31.54% |
|
|
Low quality |
60 |
47 |
191 |
298 |
56 |
49 |
197 |
302 |
45 |
56 |
241 |
342 |
27 |
20 |
181 |
228 |
360 |
|
20.13% |
15.77% |
64.09% |
100.00% |
18.54% |
16.23% |
65.23% |
100.00% |
13.16% |
16.37% |
70.47% |
100.00% |
11.84% |
8.77% |
79.39% |
100.00% |
30.77% |
|
|
Problems of transport |
40 |
50 |
208 |
298 |
44 |
50 |
208 |
302 |
41 |
52 |
249 |
342 |
15 |
26 |
187 |
228 |
318 |
|
13.42% |
16.78% |
69.80% |
100.00% |
14.57% |
16.56% |
68.87% |
100.00% |
11.99% |
15.20% |
72.81% |
100.00% |
6.58% |
11.40% |
82.02% |
100.00% |
27.18% |
|
|
Any other |
13 |
5 |
280 |
298 |
13 |
8 |
281 |
302 |
8 |
9 |
325 |
342 |
13 |
4 |
211 |
228 |
73 |
|
4.36% |
1.68% |
93.96% |
100.00% |
4.30% |
2.65% |
93.05% |
100.00% |
2.34% |
2.63% |
95.03% |
100.00% |
5.70% |
1.75% |
92.54% |
100.00% |
6.24% |
|
Table No-2.2
Problems while obtaining sufficient material (Multiple Responses)
Note: Figures in parentheses indicate percentages to totals.
Source: Researcher's compilation.
Table 2.2 reveals the entrepreneurs' problems while obtaining sufficient raw material. Without sufficient materials, entrepreneurs cannot produce the products in time, and if they are not in a position to produce the products, they have to suffer losses. It is observed that 17.26 per cent (202) are facing a scarcity of raw materials. In contrast, 31.50 per cent (369) of them face higher price problems, followed by 30.77 per cent (360) facing low-quality of the raw material problem. Whereas 27.18 per cent (318) face the problem of transportation, 6.24 per cent (73) face other raw material problems. If we look state-wise, 107 (60 from A1 district and 47 from A2 district), followed by 105 (56 from O1 district and 49 from O2 district), 101(45 from T1 district and 56 from T2 district), and 47 (27 from K1 and 20 from K2 district) are facing low quality of the raw material problem in Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Kerala respectively. The study also found that most entrepreneurs face low quality and higher price problems associated with sourcing the raw material.
Marketing
Table 3 below reveals the problems faced by the entrepreneurs while selling their products. Out of 1170 entrepreneurs, 66.00 per cent (772) face problems while selling their products in the market, and 34.00 per cent (398) are not facing any difficulties. If we look into the State-wise breakup, 218 (100 from A1 district and 118 from A2 district), followed by 213 (110 from O1 district and 103 from O2 district), 198 (103 from T1 district and 95 from T2 district), and 143(71 from K1 and 72 from K2 district) are facing problems while selling their products in the market in Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Kerala respectively. It is found that the majority are facing marketing problems in Andhra Pradesh and Orissa.
Table No-3
Problems while selling the products
|
Selling Problems |
STATE |
Total |
|||||||||||
|
Andhra Pradesh |
Orissa |
Tamilnadu |
Kerala |
||||||||||
|
|
A1 |
A2 |
Total |
O1 |
O2 |
Total |
T1 |
T2 |
Total |
K1 |
K2 |
Total |
|
|
Yes |
100 66.67% |
118 79.73% |
218 (73.20) |
110 68.75% |
103 72.54% |
213 (70.50) |
103 59.54% |
95 56.21% |
198 (57.90) |
71 64.55% |
72 61.02% |
143 (62.70) |
772 (66.00) |
|
No |
50 33.33% |
30 20.27% |
80 (26.80) |
50 31.25% |
39 27.46% |
89 (29.50) |
70 40.46% |
74 43.79% |
144 (42.10) |
39 35.45% |
46 38.98% |
85 (37.30) |
398 (34.00) |
|
Total |
150 (100.00) |
148 (100.00) |
298 (100.00) |
160 (100.00) |
142 (100.00) |
302 (100.00) |
173 (100.00) |
169 (100.00) |
342 (100.00) |
110 (100.00) |
118 (100.00) |
228 (100.00) |
1170 (100.00) |
Note: Figures in parentheses indicate percentages to totals.
Source: Researcher's compilation.
|
Problem |
STATE |
Total |
|||||||||||||||
|
ANDHRA PRADESH |
ORISSA |
TAMILNADU |
KERALA |
||||||||||||||
|
A1 |
A2 |
No Response |
Total |
O1 |
O2 |
No Response |
Total |
T1 |
T2 |
No Response |
Total |
K1 |
K2 |
No Response |
Total |
Affirmative |
|
|
Competition from other micro enterprises |
30 |
24 |
244 |
298 |
44 |
30 |
228 |
302 |
40 |
31 |
271 |
342 |
24 |
19 |
185 |
228 |
242 |
|
10.07% |
8.05% |
81.88% |
100.00% |
14.57% |
9.93% |
75.50% |
100.00% |
11.70% |
9.06% |
79.24% |
100.00% |
10.53% |
8.33% |
81.14% |
100.00% |
20.68% |
|
|
Competition from small enterprises |
85 |
72 |
141 |
298 |
81 |
78 |
143 |
302 |
69 |
64 |
209 |
342 |
53 |
49 |
126 |
228 |
551 |
|
28.52% |
24.16% |
47.32% |
100.00% |
26.82% |
25.83% |
47.35% |
100.00% |
20.18% |
18.71% |
61.11% |
100.00% |
23.25% |
21.49% |
55.26% |
100.00% |
47.09% |
|
|
Competition from small and medium enterprises |
91 |
86 |
121 |
298 |
84 |
70 |
148 |
302 |
83 |
73 |
186 |
342 |
60 |
51 |
117 |
228 |
598 |
|
30.54% |
28.86% |
40.60% |
100.00% |
27.81% |
23.18% |
49.01% |
100.00% |
24.27% |
21.35% |
54.39% |
100.00% |
26.32% |
22.37% |
51.32% |
100.00% |
51.11% |
|
|
Slackness in demand |
81 |
76 |
141 |
298 |
53 |
50 |
199 |
302 |
59 |
55 |
228 |
342 |
34 |
48 |
146 |
228 |
456 |
|
27.18% |
25.50% |
47.32% |
100.00% |
17.55% |
16.56% |
65.89% |
100.00% |
17.25% |
16.08% |
66.67% |
100.00% |
14.91% |
21.05% |
64.04% |
100.00% |
38.97% |
|
|
Seasonal demand |
70 |
67 |
161 |
298 |
55 |
50 |
197 |
302 |
51 |
46 |
245 |
342 |
37 |
45 |
146 |
228 |
421 |
|
23.49% |
22.48% |
54.03% |
100.00% |
18.21% |
16.56% |
65.23% |
100.00% |
14.91% |
13.45% |
71.64% |
100.00% |
16.23% |
19.74% |
64.04% |
100.00% |
35.98% |
|
|
Problem of transport |
55 |
48 |
195 |
298 |
71 |
68 |
163 |
302 |
59 |
56 |
227 |
342 |
45 |
38 |
145 |
228 |
440 |
|
18.46% |
16.11% |
65.44% |
100.00% |
23.51% |
22.52% |
53.97% |
100.00% |
17.25% |
16.37% |
66.37% |
100.00% |
19.74% |
16.67% |
63.60% |
100.00% |
37.61% |
|
|
Parent enterprise demand |
41 |
30 |
227 |
298 |
50 |
43 |
209 |
302 |
46 |
40 |
256 |
342 |
32 |
22 |
174 |
228 |
304 |
|
13.76% |
10.07% |
76.17% |
100.00% |
16.56% |
14.24% |
69.21% |
100.00% |
13.45% |
11.70% |
74.85% |
100.00% |
14.04% |
9.65% |
76.32% |
100.00% |
25.98% |
|
|
Any other problems |
14 |
2 |
282 |
298 |
17 |
8 |
277 |
302 |
12 |
2 |
328 |
342 |
10 |
5 |
213 |
228 |
70 |
|
4.70% |
0.67% |
94.63% |
100.00% |
5.63% |
2.65% |
91.72% |
100.00% |
3.51% |
0.58% |
95.91% |
100.00% |
4.39% |
2.19% |
93.42% |
100.00% |
5.98% |
|
Table No-3.1
Details of Problems while selling the products (Multiple Responses)
Note: Figures in parentheses indicate percentages to totals. Source: Researcher's Compilation.
Table 3.1 discloses various problems faced by the entrepreneurs while selling the products in markets. Out of the total sample, 20.68% (242) of entrepreneurs struggle with Product Sales due to competition from the other micro enterprises. This is followed by 47.09 % (551) entrepreneurs who struggle to compete with small enterprises, while 51.11% (598) have difficulties competing with small and medium enterprises. Similarly, around 38.97% (456) of the sample entrepreneurs face slackness in demand, whereas 35.98% (421) face seasonal demand problems. While around 40% (440) face transportation problems, 25.98% (304) face parent enterprise demand problems. If we look into State-wise breakup stats, 177 (91 from A1 district and 86 from A2 district), followed by 154 (84 from O1 district and 70 from O2 district), 162 (83 from T1 district and 73 from T2 district), and 111(60 from K1 and 51 from K2 district) are facing problem from competition from small and medium enterprises in Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Kerala respectively. It found that most entrepreneurs face issues due to competition from small and medium enterprises.
Labour
Table- 4 reveals the labour problems faced by the entrepreneurs in the sample area. Of the 1170 entrepreneurs, 59.10 per cent (691) have difficulties with labour problems and 40.90 per cent (479) do not. A State- wise stat fragmentation gives that 212 (102 from A1 district and 110 from A2 district), followed by 115 (58 from O1 district and 57 from O2 district), 198 (96 from T1 district and 102 from T2 district) and 166 (79 from K1 and 87 from K2 district) are facing labour problem in Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Kerala respectively. It is found that most entrepreneurs are facing labour problems.
Table No-4
Labour problem
|
Labour problem |
STATE |
Total |
|||||||||||
|
Andhra Pradesh |
Orissa |
Tamilnadu |
Kerala |
||||||||||
|
|
A1 |
A2 |
Total |
O1 |
O2 |
Total |
T1 |
T2 |
Total |
K1 |
K2 |
Total |
|
|
Yes |
102 67.11% |
110 75.34% |
212 (71.10) |
58 37.42% |
57 38.78% |
115 (38.10) |
96 56.47% |
102 58.96% |
198 (57.90) |
79 70.54% |
87 75.00% |
166 (72.80) |
691 (59.10) |
|
No |
50 32.89% |
36 24.66% |
86 (28.90) |
97 62.58% |
90 61.22% |
187 (61.90) |
73 42.94% |
71 41.04% |
144 (42.10) |
33 29.46% |
29 25.00% |
62 (27.20) |
479 (40.90) |
|
Total |
152 (100.00) |
146 (100.00) |
298 (100.00) |
155 (100.00) |
147 (100.00) |
302 (100.00) |
169 (100.00) |
173 (100.00) |
342 (100.00) |
112 (100.000 |
116 (100.00) |
228 (100.00) |
1170 (100.00) |
Note: Figures in parentheses indicate percentages to totals.
Source: Researcher's compilation.
Table No-4.1
Details of the Labour Problems (Multiple Responses)
|
Problem |
STATE |
Total |
|||||||||||||||
|
ANDHRA PRADESH |
ORISSA |
TAMILNADU |
KERALA |
||||||||||||||
|
A1 |
A2 |
No Response |
Total |
O1 |
O2 |
No Response |
Total |
T1 |
T2 |
No Response |
Total |
K1 |
K2 |
No Response |
Total |
Affirmative |
|
|
Lack of skilled labour/ employees |
48 |
52 |
198 |
298 |
25 |
29 |
248 |
302 |
40 |
45 |
257 |
342 |
30 |
32 |
166 |
228 |
301 |
|
16.11% |
17.45% |
66.44% |
100.00% |
8.28% |
9.60% |
82.12% |
100.00% |
11.70% |
13.16% |
75.15% |
100.00% |
13.16% |
14.04% |
72.81% |
100.00% |
25.73% |
|
|
Unionization of employees |
40 |
37 |
221 |
298 |
20 |
26 |
256 |
302 |
36 |
32 |
274 |
342 |
29 |
28 |
171 |
228 |
248 |
|
13.42% |
12.42% |
74.16% |
100.00% |
6.62% |
8.61% |
84.77% |
100.00% |
10.53% |
9.36% |
80.12% |
100.00% |
12.72% |
12.28% |
75.00% |
100.00% |
21.20% |
|
|
Turnover of employees |
64 |
61 |
173 |
298 |
36 |
30 |
236 |
302 |
51 |
55 |
236 |
342 |
37 |
40 |
151 |
228 |
374 |
|
21.48% |
20.47% |
58.05% |
100.00% |
11.92% |
9.93% |
78.15% |
100.00% |
14.91% |
16.08% |
69.01% |
100.00% |
16.23% |
17.54% |
66.23% |
100.00% |
31.97% |
|
|
Absenteeism of employees |
52 |
58 |
188 |
298 |
25 |
28 |
249 |
302 |
58 |
56 |
228 |
342 |
59 |
61 |
108 |
228 |
397 |
|
17.45% |
19.46% |
63.09% |
100.00% |
8.28% |
9.27% |
82.45% |
100.00% |
16.96% |
16.37% |
66.67% |
100.00% |
25.88% |
26.75% |
47.37% |
100.00% |
33.93% |
|
|
Any other |
4 |
8 |
286 |
298 |
6 |
5 |
291 |
302 |
10 |
13 |
319 |
342 |
5 |
11 |
212 |
228 |
62 |
|
1.34% |
2.68% |
95.97% |
100.00% |
1.99% |
1.66% |
96.36% |
100.00% |
2.92% |
3.80% |
93.27% |
100.00% |
2.19% |
4.82% |
92.98% |
100.00% |
5.30% |
|
Note: Figures in parentheses indicate percentages to totals.
Source: Researcher's compilation.
The above Table 4.1 reveals various labour problems entrepreneurs face in sample areas. Of them, 25.73% (301) face lack of skilled labour/employee’s problem, followed by 21.20% (248) face unionization of employee’s problem, 31.97% (374) facing turnover of employee’s problem, 33.93% (397) face absenteeism of employees and 5.30% (62) face other labour problem. If we look at the state-wise number split, 110 (48 from A1 district and 52 from A2 district), followed by 53 (25 from O1 district and 29 from O2 district), 114 (58 from T1 district and 56 from T2 district) and 120 (59 from K1 and 61 from K2 district) are facing absenteeism of employees' in Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Kerala respectively.
Therefore, the turnover of skilled labour is also an acute problem. To solve this problem, some entrepreneurs have tried to encourage the local labour to acquire new skills. Such inducements have met with some success. Many entrepreneurs seriously complain of turnover and absenteeism. Labour turnover is due to other local concerns offering higher wages, and absenteeism has been due to a lack of social discipline. There is a tendency not to turn up for work among the skilled workers, though for no valid reason. They do not give the employer any notice either before or after leaving. On the whole satisfactory employer-employee relations appear to be prevailing in the enterprises.
Infrastructure
Table 5 shows the infrastructural problems faced by the entrepreneurs in sample areas. Of the 1170 entrepreneurs, 69.10% (808) face problems related to infrastructure. And 30.90 % (362) are not having any infrastructural problems. If we take a look into the division of state-wise stats, 262 (125 from A1 district and 137 from A2 district), followed by 217 (105 from O1 district and 112 from O2 district), 237 (115 from T1 district and 122 from T2 district) and 92 (45 from K1 and 47 from K2 district) facing infrastructural problem in Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Kerala respectively. It is found that the majority of the entrepreneurs are facing infrastructural issues.
Table No-5
Infrastructural Problems
|
Infrastructural Problem |
STATE |
Total |
|||||||||||
|
Andhra Pradesh |
Orissa |
Tamilnadu |
Kerala |
||||||||||
|
|
A1 |
A2 |
Total |
O1 |
O2 |
Total |
T1 |
T2 |
Total |
K1 |
K2 |
Total |
|
|
Yes |
125 85.62% |
137 90.13% |
262 (87.90) |
105 71.92% |
112 71.79% |
217 (71.90) |
115 68.86% |
122 69.71% |
237 (69.30) |
45 41.28% |
47 39.50% |
92 (40.40) |
808 (69.10) |
|
No |
21 14.38% |
15 9.87% |
36 (12.10) |
41 28.08% |
44 28.21% |
85 (28.10) |
52 31.14% |
53 30.29% |
105 (30.70) |
64 58.72% |
72 60.50% |
136 (59.60) |
362 (30.90) |
|
Total |
146 (100.00) |
152 (100.00) |
298 (100.00) |
146 (100.000 |
156 (100.00) |
302 (100.00) |
167 (100.00) |
175 (100.00) |
342 (100.00) |
109 (100.00) |
119 (100.00) |
228 (100.00) |
1170 (100.00) |
Note: Figures in parentheses indicate percentages to totals.
Source: Researcher's compilation.
Table No-5.1
Detail of Infrastructural Problems (Multiple Responses)
|
Problem |
STATE |
Total |
|||||||||||||||
|
ANDHRA PRADESH |
ORISSA |
TAMILNADU |
KERALA |
||||||||||||||
|
A1 |
A2 |
No Response |
Total |
O1 |
O2 |
No Response |
Total |
T1 |
T2 |
No Response |
Total |
K1 |
K2 |
No Response |
Total |
Affirmative |
|
|
Roads |
25 |
29 |
244 |
298 |
35 |
39 |
228 |
302 |
31 |
39 |
272 |
342 |
19 |
24 |
185 |
228 |
241 |
|
8.39% |
9.73% |
81.88% |
100.00% |
11.59% |
12.91% |
75.50% |
100.00% |
9.06% |
11.40% |
79.53% |
100.00% |
8.33% |
10.53% |
81.14% |
100.00% |
20.60% |
|
|
Power |
80 |
77 |
141 |
298 |
81 |
78 |
143 |
302 |
67 |
66 |
209 |
342 |
54 |
48 |
126 |
228 |
551 |
|
26.85% |
25.84% |
47.32% |
100.00% |
26.82% |
25.83% |
47.35% |
100.00% |
19.59% |
19.30% |
61.11% |
100.00% |
23.68% |
21.05% |
55.26% |
100.00% |
47.09% |
|
|
Water |
86 |
91 |
121 |
298 |
74 |
80 |
148 |
302 |
79 |
83 |
180 |
342 |
53 |
58 |
117 |
228 |
604 |
|
28.86% |
30.54% |
40.60% |
100.00% |
24.50% |
26.49% |
49.01% |
100.00% |
23.10% |
24.27% |
52.63% |
100.00% |
23.25% |
25.44% |
51.32% |
100.00% |
51.62% |
|
|
Transport |
81 |
76 |
141 |
298 |
49 |
54 |
199 |
302 |
59 |
56 |
227 |
342 |
44 |
38 |
146 |
228 |
457 |
|
27.18% |
25.50% |
47.32% |
100.00% |
16.23% |
17.88% |
65.89% |
100.00% |
17.25% |
16.37% |
66.37% |
100.00% |
19.30% |
16.67% |
64.04% |
100.00% |
39.06% |
|
|
Communication |
66 |
71 |
161 |
298 |
53 |
52 |
197 |
302 |
46 |
51 |
245 |
342 |
39 |
43 |
146 |
228 |
421 |
|
22.15% |
23.83% |
54.03% |
100.00% |
17.55% |
17.22% |
65.23% |
100.00% |
13.45% |
14.91% |
71.64% |
100.00% |
17.11% |
18.86% |
64.04% |
100.00% |
35.98% |
|
|
Storage |
50 |
53 |
195 |
298 |
70 |
69 |
163 |
302 |
58 |
57 |
227 |
342 |
38 |
45 |
145 |
228 |
440 |
|
16.78% |
17.79% |
65.44% |
100.00% |
23.18% |
22.85% |
53.97% |
100.00% |
16.96% |
16.67% |
66.37% |
100.00% |
16.67% |
19.74% |
63.60% |
100.00% |
37.61% |
|
|
Insurance |
34 |
37 |
227 |
298 |
49 |
44 |
209 |
302 |
45 |
41 |
256 |
342 |
29 |
25 |
174 |
228 |
304 |
|
11.41% |
12.42% |
76.17% |
100.00% |
16.23% |
14.57% |
69.21% |
100.00% |
13.16% |
11.99% |
74.85% |
100.00% |
12.72% |
10.96% |
76.32% |
100.00% |
25.98% |
|
|
Any other |
2 |
14 |
282 |
298 |
10 |
15 |
277 |
302 |
3 |
11 |
328 |
342 |
5 |
10 |
213 |
228 |
70 |
|
0.67% |
4.70% |
94.63% |
100.00% |
3.31% |
4.97% |
91.72% |
100.00% |
0.88% |
3.22% |
95.91% |
100.00% |
2.19% |
4.39% |
93.42% |
100.00% |
5.98% |
|
Note: Figures in parentheses indicate percentages to totals.
Source: Researcher's compilation.
From the above table, it is evident that 20.60% (241) of the total sample population feel that the roads are a big infrastructural problem. The condition of roads in India is a persistent problem and a constant point of ridicule. The next big problem, as implied by the data, is electricity-related issues which, as per sample population data, is voted by 47.09% (551).
Around 51.62% (604) of the sample population selected for water problem as the biggest problem, while nearly 40% (457) said they face transportation problems. Likewise, 35.98% (421) agree that they have communication-related Infrastructural problems while conducting business. Also, 37.61% (440) say they face storage-related problems, while 25.98% (304) opine that they experience insurance-related problems. A glance at the State-wise breakdown affirms that 177 (86 from A1 district and 91 from A2 district), followed by 154 (74 from O1 district and 80 from O2 district), 162 (79 from T1 district and 83 from T2 district), and 111(53 from K1 and 58 from K2 district) are facing a significant problem with water in Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Kerala respectively. It is found that the majority of the entrepreneurs are facing problems with power, water, transportation, storage and insurance.
Machinery
Table 6 discloses the machinery problem for the entrepreneurs in the sample areas. 25.38 per cent (297) say they struggle with procuring machinery, tools and spare parts. While 73.25 per cent (857) of the sample population said they faced major breakdown of the plant, 60.09 per cent (703) believed that repairs or maintenance of machinery bothered them many times. Taking a glimpse into state-wise responses reveal that 215 (110 from A1 district and 105 from A2 district), followed by 224 (115 from O1 district and 109 from O2 district), 260 (133 from T1 district and127 from T2 district) and 158(81 from K1 and 77 from K2 district) said that they experienced problem primarily with a major breakdown of the plant in Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Kerala respectively.
Table No-6
Machinery Problems (Multiple Responses)
|
Categories |
STATE |
Total |
|||||||||||||||
|
ANDHRA PRADESH |
ORISSA |
TAMILNADU |
KERALA |
||||||||||||||
|
A1 |
A2 |
No Response |
Total |
O1 |
O2 |
No Response |
Total |
T1 |
T2 |
No Response |
Total |
K1 |
K2 |
No Response |
Total |
Affirmative |
|
|
Procurement of machinery, tools and spare parts |
30 |
39 |
229 |
298 |
36 |
45 |
221 |
302 |
44 |
50 |
248 |
342 |
18 |
35 |
175 |
228 |
297 |
|
10.07% |
13.09% |
76.85% |
100.00% |
11.92% |
14.90% |
73.18% |
100.00% |
12.87% |
14.62% |
72.51% |
100.00% |
7.89% |
15.35% |
76.75% |
100.00% |
25.38% |
|
|
Major break-down of the plant |
110 |
105 |
83 |
298 |
115 |
109 |
78 |
302 |
133 |
127 |
82 |
342 |
81 |
77 |
70 |
228 |
857 |
|
36.91% |
35.23% |
27.85% |
100.00% |
38.08% |
36.09% |
25.83% |
100.00% |
38.89% |
37.13% |
23.98% |
100.00% |
35.53% |
33.77% |
30.70% |
100.00% |
73.25% |
|
|
Repairs or maintenance of machinery |
94 |
98 |
106 |
298 |
94 |
86 |
122 |
302 |
91 |
98 |
153 |
342 |
69 |
73 |
86 |
228 |
703 |
|
31.54% |
32.89% |
35.57% |
100.00% |
31.13% |
28.48% |
40.40% |
100.00% |
26.61% |
28.65% |
44.74% |
100.00% |
30.26% |
32.02% |
37.72% |
100.00% |
60.09% |
|
|
Any other problems |
56 |
64 |
178 |
298 |
62 |
57 |
183 |
302 |
67 |
74 |
201 |
342 |
43 |
60 |
125 |
228 |
483 |
|
18.79% |
21.48% |
59.73% |
100.00% |
20.53% |
18.87% |
60.60% |
100.00% |
19.59% |
21.64% |
58.77% |
100.00% |
18.86% |
26.32% |
54.82% |
100.00% |
41.28% |
|
Note: Figures in parentheses indicate percentages to totals.
Source: Researcher's compilation.
Limitations
Running a business is undoubtedly not a pushover, and it exacts a toll. Several factors determine the success of a business. This study only limits examining a few factors of challenges faced by entrepreneurs. And there are many other states with huge Schedule caste populations. But this study is only confined to four states. From the four states, a finite number of respondents, one thousand One hundred and seventy, have participated in the study. This study only considered the Women population of Schedule Caste in India.
Suggestions
The Indian sub-continent always held Women in high value and respect. The Constitutional provisions have evoked institutional support to encourage entrepreneurs from Scheduled communities. Regardless of the support and reassurance, the community is still behind in many human endeavor areas. Be it prolonged discrimination that could have caused shame and guilt, low levels of education and awareness or persistent negligence of governments, the scheduled communities have been clearly abandoned by their compatriots. This study is complementary proof to show there is a relationship between discrimination and depression-related behavioral performance. The current research exposes that nearly 70% of the respondents face financial problems. The scheduled caste women can be said to be the most submissive and discriminated people of all classes in India. Many large part of the community do not have hereditary properties like other classes to support their education and professions. This study proves a relationship between financial problems and the type of business the entrepreneur chooses. As per this study, Agri-entrepreneurs are the most underserved people in terms of business and while trying to achieve Social Equity. The mainstay profession of Indian culture is Agriculture, and this study proves that society and the governments did not encourage the backward classes enough to achieve self-sustainability. There are lots of reasons that can be attributed to this unfortunate situation. Illiteracy, discrimination, Prejudice, misogyny, etc., are some of the chief reasons.
The educational levels of the Scheduled communities are comparably low to other classes, leading to overlooking the financial management. Most of them do not understand the mechanism of financial discipline due to their lack of knowledge. Marketing and sales, budgeting and financial leverage of debits and credits are essential to any business. The government should train the scheduled communities and teach them the necessary technical knowledge. Also, more than 50% of the sample say they face raw material problems, and nearly 60% say they struggle with labour and infrastructural problems. The study participants greatly anticipate better financial assistance than the existing ones. Agriculture is the primary business activity observed among the respondents. Government should take measures to ensure that potential Women entrepreneurs should be encouraged to take up organic farming, organic poultry and dairy farming. The respondents in the study envisage good storage facilities, transportation amenities, necessary support for sales and marketing, and insurance-related benefits. This is true for their encouragement and support, mainly for the Agriculture and dairy entrepreneurs. The community can give directions to make strides in organic farming and the Green Market arena. As these areas are booming, the entrepreneurs can be given inclusive training on the subjects of Global business, Green Markets, Organic farming, Eco-friendly transportation methods, Green finance and Green Supply chain management.
Conclusion
The development and progress of any nation in the world depend on its Economic and Social Integration. While the need for Communal identity integration is also deemed to be a chief element of Social progression for a society, it demands high standards of ethics, wisdom and liberalism among its people. For a higher level of Social progress, common sense combined with a better degree of social integration contributes to consistent values and practices which blur the lines between groups distanced by language, religion, caste, creed, Class etc. This happens only when there is no division between humans and no flaws in society. As per the Directive Principles of the State, ensuring Socio-economic justice for the people of India and establishing the country as a Welfare state is the soul of the Indian constitution and is of incredible importance to the government. Despite being such a pinnacle item on the agenda, the people still, after 20 years of the twenty-first century, are entangled in the nodes of greed, Prejudice and fear. For a long time, governments have been trying to eliminate this false and spoiled line that segregates society, which is basically evil. But the entanglement is so hard to be unraveled, and there is still a long way to be explored to undo the blunders of our ancestors. There should be clear lines delineating Equality and Equity to the people. Equality means ensuring that every individual or group of people has the same resources or opportunities. Whereas, Equity recognizes that each person's circumstances are different and allocates precisely the resources and opportunities needed to achieve a fair outcome. The need of the hour in Women's entrepreneurship is Equity. The legal framework is also required to protect women's rights in a progressive business environment.
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