Case Name :      Grassroots Female Entrepreneurs: Rural and Urban Small Business Groups in India

Authors :           Neha Paliwal Sharma, Tanuja Sharma

Source :             Ivey Publishing

Case ID :            W13206

Discipline :        General Management

Case Length :    07 pages

Solution Sample availability : YES

Plagiarism : NO (100% Original work)

Two female small-business entrepreneurs belonging to the poorer sections of rural and urban India were trying to arrange for funds in order to ensure the viability of their commercial ventures in the long term. They had formed self-help groups with the help of Indian government development schemes aimed at poverty alleviation and human development. The first woman experienced opposition not only from patriarchal village elders but also from her own family. She persisted in getting training and setting up a workshop to employ her female neighbours. The second woman was supported by her family but also had trouble finding a suitable venue for making and selling the work her group produced. In spite of government support and the allocation of funds to their enterprises, both women had trouble persuading the banks to loan money to them. The long-term viability of their groups was thus in doubt.