MUDRA to SHGs: Budget 2019 boosts women's start-ups and rural business

The budgetary allocation to flagship schemes for women has seen a rise this year

Invoking women voters in the Union Budget is not new but this year was different. Presented by the first full-time female finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, it recognised the role of women as entrepreneurs and were accorded benefits accordingly.

“In India’s growth story, particularly in the rural economy — grameen arth vyavastha — the role of women is a very sweet story. This government wishes to encourage and facilitate this role of women,” said Sitharaman after invoking the adage “Nari tu Narayani (Women you are the caregiver).”

Acknowledging the efforts of several schemes such as Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency (MUDRA), Standup