40% Women Prefer Entrepreneurship as a Career and Earning Option, Highlights Meesho Survey

National, 05 March 2022:Ahead of International Women’s Day, Meesho – India’s fastest-growing internet commerce company, surveyed 9,000 women entrepreneurs across 28 states and 4 union territories. The survey highlights how e-commerce is boosting opportunities for women through entrepreneurship.

Over the last 6 years, Meesho supported women to become entrepreneurs and achieve their quest for financial independence through the company’s reselling business model. Currently, the platform hosts 15 million entrepreneurs of which 9 million are women. Nearly 60% of Meeeho’s women entrepreneurs hail from tier 3 markets.

As per survey respondents, besides financial independence, most women believe happiness, a sense of identity and networking opportunities are important facets of becoming entrepreneurs. With more than 90% of respondents stating that it is easy to become an entrepreneur with Meesho, 43% said zero investment to start their own business was a key enabler. Further, 16% believed it offered independence and gave them an identity and more than 40%of respondents chose entrepreneurship as it is a good earning option. 

41% of the respondents are homemakers who have turned their passion into a business, 38% are employed or own other businesses, 5% are teachers and 16% are students.

Furthermore, 40% of respondents are Gen Z (between 18 and 25 years of age) whereas 20% are 35+. An equal opportunity platform, Meesho has provided women from all walks of life an opportunity to become entrepreneurs. More than one-third of the women surveyed have basic school education (37%) and one in every five women entrepreneurs is a postgraduate (22%).

Managing time between home and business as well as access to technology are among their biggest challenges.

A respondent from West Bengal says, “I became an entrepreneur without any prior investment on Meesho. The earnings were a major source of support for myself and my family during the pandemic.” Another respondent, who is a homemaker from Maharashtra says, “Being a homemaker, I found my self-esteem being affected since I was not financially independent. Connecting with Meesho helped me become an active contributor to my family’s expenses and restored my self-confidence.“

Elaborating on the value Meesho creates for female entrepreneurs, Utkrishta Kumar, CXO, Business at Meesho said, “Being financially independent is an important goal for women of all backgrounds.More than 60% of our entrepreneurs come from Tier 3+ markets like Dimapur, Faizabad and Haldwani.We are proud thatMeesho is championing socioeconomic equity,enabling more women from the remotest regions to find financial independence, a sense of identity and happiness.”

Despite the challenges of managing time between home and business (cited by 55% ofrespondents), their entrepreneurial spirit is undeterred. To encourage this spirit, Meesho ensures it offers opportunities that women entrepreneurs can leverage for their financial security, independence and identity.