“75 Percent Women Beneficiaries Under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana”

Union Minister for Textiles and Information & Broadcasting Smt. Smriti Irani has said that about 75 per cent of the beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) are female. Speaking at the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, the Minister said under the PMMY, people could avail financial aid to start a new business or to expand the existing one by taking a loan of Rs 50,000 to Rs 10 lakh. Smt Irani said, "75 per cent of the beneficiaries of the financial outreach programme (PMMY) of the prime minister are women. This means that in our country, we have women coming from small towns, walking up to bank manager, convincing them that their business plans make more sense than anybody else who walked into the same branch."
"Women participating in such a large number and paying back to bank speaks volumes of the competence of the Indian women today," she said. The minister, however, said the fact that in unorganised sector, the number of women being much higher than the men also speaks of a "different story". The Minister also advocated for combined efforts of men and women to work for the empowerment of women, wondering why women only identify with their gender to be the problem-solvers.
The minister also shared her experience before becoming MP or minister when she had walked into her employers room and asked for a raise and got a reply that the men working with her "did not get anything". To a query whether she supports quota for women, Smt. Irani said, "I have seen a lot of women who otherwise not have been given opportunity to prove their competence." Highlighting the works of the government, she said the Centre has built about a record of 4 lakh toilets in one year in government schools which has enhanced the enrolment of girls.