“A study on Entrepreneurship as means of livelihood for women in Arunachal Pradesh.”

Abstract: The landscape of women entrepreneurship is explored in this study in terms of economic activities, sources of finance, motivations, government support, and challenges in Papumpare, Lower Subansiri, and East Siang districts of Arunachal Pradesh state. The socio-economic contribution of women entrepreneurs in the region has increased in recent years. Still, no information has been collected regarding the actual business activities of these entrepreneurs and the reasons behind such entrepreneurship. This research will fill the gap by identifying the primary economic activities that women engage in, looking at various sources of financing they access, and analysing factors influencing their choice of entrepreneurship. The research also explores how much they have utilised government schemes to support small businesses and entrepreneurship. The research identifies the areas in which businesses are generally operated by women and the areas of significant female business participation. The study further identifies the formal and informal sources of funding. Reasons for women operating businesses. It explains why women-run businesses, with the motivations for the same being economic independence, family influence, or community influence. A deeper look shows it comes with an array of issues; credit constraints, societal norms, entry to the markets, and logistics are part of that array. The findings of this study would be targeted to inform policymakers and support organisations about the requirements and challenges the women entrepreneurs within those districts face. It will lead towards more focused intervention and more targeted support measures for entrepreneurship, nurturing a healthy and supportive ecosystem for Arunachal Pradesh.