Business
Women’s Employment Rate In India Jumps From 22% To 40.3% In 6 Years
New Delhi: The Ministry of Labour and Employment on Monday highlighted that India has witnessed a remarkable increase in the female workforce participation rate, based on the periodic labour force survey (PLFS) data which shows that the women’s employment rate (WPR) grew from 22 per cent in 2017-18 to 40.3 per cent in 2023-24, while the unemployment rate (UR) dropped from 5.6 per cent in 2017-18 to 3.2 per cent in 2023-24.
This shift is even more significant in rural India, where female employment has grown by 96 per cent while urban areas have seen an increase of 43 per cent in employment during the same period.
The employability of female graduates has also increased from 42 per cent in 2013 to 47.53 per cent in 2024. The employment rate (WPR) among women with postgraduate education and above has risen from 34.5 per cent in 2017-18 to 40 per cent in 2023-24, as per the statement.
According to the India Skills Report 2025, nearly 55 per cent of Indian graduates are expected to be globally employable in 2025, up from 51.2 per cent in 2024.
Additionally, EPFO payroll data further highlights the increasing participation of women in the formal sector. Over the past seven years, 1.56 crore women have joined the formal workforce. Meanwhile, e-Shram, as of August, has recorded over 16.69 crore unorganised women workers’ registrations, providing them access to various social welfare schemes of the Centre.
The ministry has highlighted that efforts by the Centre are contributing to growth in women entrepreneurs. At the national level, 70 Central schemes across 15 Ministries and more than 400 state-level schemes focus on supporting female entrepreneurship. PLFS data shows that female self-employment grew by 30 per cent – from 51.9 per cent in 2017-18 to 67.4 per cent in 2023-24, making women truly Atmanirbhar, it said.
Gender budgets have increased by 429 per cent in the last decade, rising from Rs 0.85 lakh crore in FY 2013-14 (RE) to Rs 4.49 lakh crore in FY 2025-26. This reflects a paradigm shift from women’s development to women-led development, with a strong focus on employment, employability, entrepreneurship, and welfare.
Programmes like Startup India have fostered a thriving ecosystem, with nearly 50 per cent of DPIIT-registered startups having at least one woman director, i.e., 74,410 out of over 1.54 lakh. Today, around two crore women have become Lakhpati Didi. Flagship programmes such as Namo Drone Didi, and Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – NRLM are also playing a crucial role in this transformation, equipping them with resources and opportunities needed to drive sustainable progress, the statement pointed out.
Another important driver of the rise in women’s self-employment is PM Mudra Yojana, which is playing a crucial role in financial inclusion, with women receiving 68 per cent of the total MUDRA loans – over 35.38 crore loans worth Rs 14.72 lakh crore. Similarly, PM SVANidhi has empowered street vendors, and around 44 per cent beneficiaries are women under the scheme. These initiatives are driving a new wave of economic self-reliance among women across India.
Additionally, women-led Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) have also emerged as key drivers of economic expansion, generating over 89 lakh additional jobs for women from FY 21 to FY 23. The share of women-owned proprietary establishments has surged from 17.4 per cent in 2010-11 to 26.2 per cent in 2023-24, and the number of women-led MSMEs have also nearly doubled, growing from 1 crore in 2010-11 to 1.92 crore in 2023-24, highlighting the increasing role of women in shaping India’s economic future.
NEW DELHI: People with job cards assigned under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Guarantee Scheme will be able to get work without disruption when transition takes place to new rural employment framework under Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act.Even though exact timeframe is not known yet, rural development ministry officials said the VB-G RAM G scheme will come into force in the coming financial year after the Centre frames and notifies the rules. After govt notifies the Act’s commencement date, states will get six months to make their schemes to enable implementation of the law.To ensure there is no disruption and job guarantee is upheld during transition from MGNREGA, it has been proposed to enable workers to use the same job cards issued under MGNREGA with Aadhaar-based eKYC.The officials said that as of now, around 75% of job cards have been verified with eKYC under the ongoing scheme. Moreover, ongoing projects under MGNREGA, if incomplete when the transition happens to the new scheme, would stay on course.Meanwhile, work is on to frame rules, lay out regulations on normative allocations, fund flow plan, IT framework, a national-level steering panel and social audits.Under the new law, focus will be on transparency to weed out leakages and duplicacy of work,the social audit system will be strengthened, and technology leveraged to create systems to establish work progress, timely wage payment and accountability through ‘e-measurement’ books, sources said. Demand for work will have to be entered on a digital platform. Officials made it clear the new law in no way interferes with demand-driven character of the scheme.
Business
Gurugram Attracts Rs 86,588 Crore In Real Estate Investments In 2025 As RERA Clears 131 Projects
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Alongside rising investments, Gurugram RERA strengthened regulatory oversight to safeguard homebuyer and investor interests
Gurgaon Real Estate (Representative Image)
Gurugram emerged as one of India’s top real estate investment destinations in 2025, with projects worth Rs 86,588 crore receiving regulatory approvals during the year, according to data from the Gurugram Real Estate Regulatory Authority (Gurugram RERA).
Market observers said the numbers reflect strong investor confidence in the NCR’s largest commercial and residential hub.
Gurugram RERA registered 131 projects in calendar year 2025, representing development potential of 35,455 units across housing and commercial segments.
A striking feature of the data was the dominance of large-ticket projects. Just 28 major developments accounted for investments worth Rs 59,360 crore, highlighting the growing influence of institutional capital and large developers in shaping Gurugram’s property market.
Residential assets continued to attract the bulk of investment interest. Of the total units approved, 31,455 were residential, underscoring sustained end-user demand and long-term confidence in the city’s housing fundamentals.
According to Authority data, the residential mix included 17,405 group housing units, 5,720 mixed land use units, 4,040 residential floor units, 2,122 affordable group housing units, 1,954 units under the Deen Dayal housing scheme, and 214 residential plotted colony units.
Market observers said this diversified supply pipeline indicates capital deployment across both premium and mass segments, helping reduce concentration risk and deepen market resilience.
On the commercial side, Gurugram RERA approved about 4,000 commercial units, of which 168 were dedicated to IT parks, reinforcing Gurugram’s position as a preferred hub for technology firms and Global Capability Centres.
Analysts noted that the combination of office-led employment growth and residential expansion continues to make Gurugram attractive for long-term capital deployment.
Industry experts said the scale of investments approved in 2025 highlights Gurugram’s ability to attract capital despite global uncertainty, supported by infrastructure growth, a strong corporate base and an improving regulatory environment.
“With a large pipeline of approved projects and sustained interest from developers and institutional investors, Gurugram is expected to remain a key real estate investment destination in the coming years,” a Gurugram-based real estate expert said.
Tighter regulatory checks
Alongside rising investments, Gurugram RERA strengthened regulatory oversight to enhance transparency and safeguard homebuyer and investor interests.
“These steps included stricter scrutiny of developer submissions, mandatory site inspections by domain experts, and public consultation through mandatory notices before project registration,” an Authority official said.
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January 16, 2026, 07:44 IST
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National Startup Day highlights India’s thriving startup ecosystem, celebrating innovation, entrepreneurship and job creation driven by founders, unicorns and Startup India mission
National Startup Day 2026 honours Indian startups, entrepreneurs and innovators driving economic growth and job creation.
National Startup Day 2026: India’s startup ecosystem has evolved into one of the world’s most vibrant and promising innovation hubs. To recognise the contribution of entrepreneurs, founders and startups transforming ideas into impactful solutions, National Startup Day is observed every year on January 16 across the country.
Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2022, the day celebrates visionary entrepreneurs who play a crucial role in economic growth, employment generation and technological advancement.
National Startup Day serves as a reminder that innovation, backed by determination and policy support, can reshape society and create global impact.
National Startup Day 2026 Theme
The official theme for National Startup Day 2026 is yet to be announced. However, the core focus areas are expected to revolve around:
- Innovation and emerging technologies
- Entrepreneurship and leadership
- Self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat)
- Startup India Mission
- Youth empowerment
- Job creation
How Startups Are Shaping India’s Future
India currently ranks as the third-largest startup ecosystem globally, with over 1.59 lakh startups recognised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) as of early 2025. Backed by 100+ unicorns, the ecosystem continues to grow rapidly.
Metro cities such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi-NCR lead this expansion, while Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities are emerging as new innovation centres, adding diversity and scale to India’s entrepreneurial journey.
Startups across fintech, edtech, health-tech, e-commerce and deep-tech are addressing real-world challenges and gaining global recognition. Technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain and IoT are increasingly driving innovation, according to Startup India ecosystem reports.
Industry-Wise Startup Impact
DPIIT-recognised startups have generated over 16.6 lakh direct jobs across sectors as of October 31, 2024, strengthening India’s employment landscape.
- IT Services: 2.04 lakh jobs
- Healthcare & Life Sciences: 1.47 lakh jobs
- Commercial & Professional Services: 94,000 jobs
Through the Startup India initiative, the government continues to focus on skill development, funding access, ecosystem collaboration and global outreach.
Key Initiatives Under Startup India
- Capacity building and mentorship
- Outreach and awareness programmes
- Ecosystem development events
- International exposure and global linkages
- Collaboration between startups, corporates and institutions.
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January 16, 2026, 07:00 IST
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