The Livelihoods India Case Study Competition is a pioneering initiative that brings together the collective intellect of the sector and assimilates innovative solutions, breakthroughs, good experiences, and best practices that help in learning from diverse sector experience and impact poverty reduction. Instituted in 2009 by ACCESS, the competition is a tool to identify and collate models and best practices that have significantly contributed to livelihoods promotion of the poor in India. ACCESS announces the Livelihoods India Case Study Competition 2024.

India has more than 820 million active internet users, with over half of them coming from rural parts of the country. With internet penetration rising eight per cent year-on-year, as in 2023, the growth has had far-reaching implications across sectors, particularly entrepreneurship. The digital landscape offers unprecedented advantages for the entrepreneurs, shrinking geographical and social barriers. In the last five years, 83 percent of Indian small businesses have taken their operations online, with 65 per cent generating up to half of their revenue from online sales. This shift towards e-commerce demonstrates the immense potential for women entrepreneurs to thrive in this rapidly growing digital marketplace.

The e-commerce landscape in India is revolutionizing the entrepreneurial path for women by helping them overcome traditional barriers. Online marketplaces offer flexibility and scalability, granting women entrepreneurs the autonomy to run businesses on their own terms and navigate changing market dynamics. Furthermore, e-commerce fuels innovation, empowering women to tailor products or services to suit a diverse global clientele. With the extensive reach of online platforms, geographical limitations are no longer a hindrance, enabling women to connect with customers across local, national, and international borders.

While national initiatives, viz., Digital India and Start-up India, have lent a hand in harnessing the potential, there is substantial evidence that demonstrates a gender divide in digital market spaces, reflecting the country’s broader struggle with women’s entrepreneurship and inclusive growth. Inadequate internet access and digital literacy gaps underscore not only the lack of equal participation of women but also unequal access to build their business competitiveness in the digital economy. With aspirations to become a $5-trillion economy, India recognizes the critical role of supporting the digital transformation of the MSME sector, particularly women-led enterprises.

For the year 2024, the Livelihoods India Case Study Competition invites case studies pertaining toinitiatives that have fostered a gender- inclusive and empowering environment for women entrepreneurs to continue thriving in the ever-expanding e-commerce landscape. The cases should highlight women led enterprises that have successfully managed to bridge the digital literacy gaps and revolutionised their business-as-usual through enhancing their competitiveness and market access, expanding their customer base, or adopting innovative branding and marketing among others via harnessing the digital and online marketplaces.