Financial inclusion, rural entrepreneurship and women’s empowerment: Insights from the SVEP experience in Kerala (Social Science & Humanities International)

Summary

• SVEP implementation blocks receive an average financial allocation of Rs. 5-6 crore per block, with around Rs. 2.5 crore earmarked as Community Enterprise Funds (CEF).p.2
• Through the Kudumbashree network, SVEP has successfully promoted more than 30,000 microenterprises in Kerala by 2025.p.2
• The study evaluated a sample of 364 rural women entrepreneurs across three districts: 96 in Wayanad, 139 in Thiruvananthapuram, and 129 in Kottayam.p.7

Key insights

1. Women entrepreneurs aged 35 to 54 represent over two-thirds of SVEP participants, while those under 25 account for only about 1%.p.8
2. Over 90% of SVEP-supported microenterprises operate as sole proprietorships across all surveyed districts.p.10
3. Loan uptake rates varied sharply across regions, reaching 52% in Wayanad, 46% in Thiruvananthapuram, and 12% in Kottayam.p.11
4. In Wayanad, the proportion of women in the lowest monthly income bracket of Rs. 0-5,000 fell from 63% pre-SVEP to 29% post-SVEP.p.15
5. Financial literacy mean scores improved in all districts post-programme, rising from 3.48 to 4.20 in Kottayam.p.13