Latest News | Women in Non-metros More Eager to Become Tech Entrepreneur: Survey

New Delhi, Mar 7 (PTI) A higher number of women in non-metros are eager to become tech entrepreneurs compared to their peers in metros but lack of access to technical resources, infrastructure and mentorship are major constraints, a joint survey by technology analytics firm Techarc and women platform Sheatwork said Monday.

Almost 48 per cent of women in non-metros are eager to take up tech entrepreneurship as a career option vis-a-vis 23 per cent in metros, who would like to pursue their own ventures, according to the survey.

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Women in metros often prefer opting for corporate jobs as a convenient career choice, the survey 'State of Women Tech Entrepreneurship in India' said.

The survey was conducted among 2,000 women -- including professionals, students, startup founders and business leaders -- across the country.

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It also found that the number of female students in leading engineering institutes like IITs has increased from a mere 5 per cent about four years back to 16 per cent now, but this is not translating into more women starting up companies.

"73 per cent of women in non-metros feel that non-availability of adequate infrastructure deters their move in taking up entrepreneurship, while 22 per cent of women in metros feel that physical infrastructure is a problem for them," the report said.

As per the survey, 58 per cent of the respondents highlighted the difficulty of raising funds and gaining access to capital in comparison to their male counterparts.

"Amongst women in metros, 38 per cent of the respondents felt that access to capital in metros is one of the major barriers towards taking up entrepreneurship," the report said.

Around 67 per cent of women in non-metros consider lack of mentorship as another crucial factor in taking up entrepreneurship, while 34 per cent of respondents in metros also feel that mentorship is important and without a guiding light, it becomes difficult for them to shine.

"Despite an increasingly educated population, limited access to relevant business and technical resources is a major impediment in scaling the venture, with 74 per cent of respondents from non-metros attributing lack of technology as the primary challenge. 24 per cent of women in metros also opine that technology access is imperative for women entrepreneurs which can make or break their venture," the report said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)