Impact Study of Covid-19 on Rural Women Micro-Entrepreneurs of West Singhbhum

Abstract

During the Covid-19 pandemic, most of the population in the country has lost their livelihood. A lack of income sources and the closing of industries led to hardship. Unpredictable natural crises had a significant impact on business growth and profitability, and simultaneously it has led to a rise in insolvencies and unemployment. Entrepreneurs have emerged as the primary contributors in generating sustainable livelihood in the post-Covid-19 pandemic with their practical innovations, techniques and creating income opportunities for others. It is essential to support MSMEs (micro, small, and medium-sized firms) in India because of their importance to the country's economic growth, job creation, and ability to manufacture globally competitive goods. The majority of women populations are involved in the development of micro-level enterprises. Rural women entrepreneurs have emerged as a comparatively prosperous occurrence and becoming increasingly relevant in India. This paper is based on the West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand state and grounded on the study population's primary and secondary data.

The report aims to identify the impact of covid-19 on small entrepreneurs and describe various available income opportunities that can be generated through micro-entrepreneurial activity among rural women. The expected concluding remark of this paper would be suggesting the necessity of micro-entrepreneurship options as an integral part of the source of income among women in the rural scenario.