Inclusive Growth and Women Empowerment through Entrepreneurial Growth in Rural India

Abstract

Despite high overall economic growth rates in many Asian countries in the past two decades, many policy makers in Asia and in international organizations have become increasingly concerned that this growth has been too uneven and often accompanied by rising income inequality. In addition, it appeared that disadvantaged groups, people in remote rural locations, and women, have not benefited proportionately from this rapid economic growth. India’s Eleventh Five-Year Plan, 2007–2012 entitled “Inclusive Growth” included strategies to promote the well-being and participation of disadvantaged groups. The Eleventh Plan sought to shift the economy to a path of faster and more inclusive growth. Inclusiveness a critical element in the strategy was to be achieved by ensuring that The Plan sought to deal with these deficiencies through programmes aimed at providing access to health, education and other essential services and programmes of livelihood support. There are two options that characterise growth as inclusive. One is the process and the other is the outcomes. In terms of outcome, inclusive growth could be termed “disadvantage-reducing” growth. The Indian experience with reforms in the last two decades reveals that while there have been achievements on the economic growth front, inequalities have increased and exclusion continues. Gender balance has been viewed as a multi-dimensional objective and one among the listed monitorable targets of inclusive growth. Despite perceptible improvement in the socio-economic status of the disadvantaged groups, much more needs to be done to ensure that socially disadvantaged groups such as women take full advantage of India’s growth story. Entrepreneurship has gained greater significance at global level under changing economic scenario. The entrepreneurial skills are needed to improve the quality of life for individuals, families and communities and to sustain a healthy economy and environment. Rural entrepreneurship is the answer to removal of rural poverty in India. Rural development now sees entrepreneurship as a strategic development intervention that could accelerate the rural development process.