Jou nal o Resea ch and De elopmen
A Mul idisciplina y In e na ional Le el Re e ed and Double Blind Pee Re iewed, Open Access
ISSN : 2230-9578 | Websi e: h ps://j d b.o g Volume-17, Issue-9(V)| Sep embe 2025
160
Ru al De elopmen and Women Empowe men : A S udy o Employmen in he
Bake y Indus y in he 75 h Yea o he Indian Cons i u ion
Deepali Sunil Koli 1, D . M. B. Desai2
1Resea ch Schola , Depa men o Economics, Shi aji Uni e si y, Kolhapu
2P o esso and Resea ch Guide, Depa men o Economics,
Chha apa i Raja sh ee Shahu College, Kolhapu
Manusc ip ID:
JRD -2025-170940
ISSN: 2230-9578
Volume 17
Issue 9 (V)
Pp. 160-163
Sep . 2025
Submi ed:15 Aug. 2025
Re ised: 25 Aug. 2025
Accep ed: 10 Sep . 2025
Published: 30 Sep . 2025
Abs ac Ru al de elopmen and women's empowe men a e closely connec ed in he socio-economic
con ex o India. As he coun y commemo a es i s 75 h yea o i s Cons i u ion, i is c ucial o assess
sec o s p omo ing inclusi e g ow h and sus ainable li elihoods. The ood p ocessing sec o -based bake y
indus y has p o ed o be a ewa ding oppo uni y o u al women by p o iding low in es men , skill-
based, and locally Ma ke able employmen p ospec s. The esea ch s udies he con ibu ion o he bake y
sec o o inc easing women's con ibu ion o u al wo k o ce pa icipa ion, household income
imp o emen , and en ep eneu ial capaci y building. Based on seconda y da a ex ac ed h ough sou ces
like he Pe iodic Labou Fo ce Su ey (PLFS), epo s by MSME and MoFPI and case s udies om
ins i u ional aining schemes, he pape obse es and analyzes women's pa icipa ion le els in baking
en e p ises, socio-economic bene i s emana ing om such wo k, and challenges in ol ing access o c edi ,
aining, and ma ke ing. The esea ch shows ha employmen ela ed o bake ies is p omo ing women's
economic au onomy and add essing wide u al de elopmen ou comes h ough sel -help g oups (SHGs),
mic o-en e p ises, and PMFME and MUDRA schemes sponso ed by go e nmen s. Howe e , s uc u al
inhibi ions like access o limi ed o mal c edi acili ies, lack o echnological app ecia ion, and gende ed
socie al a i udes p e en ull pa icipa ion. The esea ch concludes ha scale-up baking- hemed aining
is impe a i e; policy suppo needs o be s eng hened; and connec ing women en ep eneu s wi h b oade
ma ke place a enues is necessa y o mee u al de elopmen and gende pa i y ou comes as pe India's
cons i u ional ision.
Keywo ds: Ru al De elopmen , Empowe men o Women, Bake y Sec o , Food P ocessing, Employmen ,
Cons i u ion o India, MSME, PMFME
In oduc ion
Ru al de elopmen and women's empowe men ha e been main planks o India's
de elopmen al agenda e e since independence. On i s se en y- i h anni e sa y when he
Indian Cons i u ion is being emembe ed and commemo a ed upon, i s ideals o equali y, jus ice
and inclusi e g ow h hold pa icula signi icance o u al women who a e a lic ed wi h a ious
socio-economic maladies. The e has been unp eceden ed ad ancemen in educa ion and
policymaking ye u al women a e equally aced wi h challenges o unemploymen and limi ed
li elihood a enues and social inequali y and hus hei empowe men is an a ea c i ical o
sus ainable na ional de elopmen . In his ligh , he baking sec o , as one elemen o he la ge
ood p ocessing sec o , has become a con enien and po en ially ewa ding oppo uni y o
women's wo k. Due o i s low in es men implica ions, uncomplica ed echnology, and s able
demand o i s se ices, i is app op ia e o u al a eas. Wo king wi h baking businesses no
only b ings economic au onomy o women bu also enhances household s abili y, builds
en ep eneu ial skills, and achie es communi y-le el de elopmen . Se e al schemes like he
P adhan Man i Fo malisa ion o Mic o Food P ocessing En e p ises (PMFME), Na ional Ru al
Li elihood Mission (NRLM), and MUDRA Yojana p omo ed women-headed mic o and small
en e p ises loca ed in ood clus e s.
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Add ess o co espondence:
Deepali Sunil Koli, Resea ch Schola , Depa men o Economics,Shi aji Uni e si y, Kolhapu
How o ci e his a icle:
Deepali Sunil Koli, M.B. Desai. (2025).Ru al De elopmen and Women Empowe men : A S udy
o Employmen in he Bake y Indus y in he 75 h Yea o he Indian Cons i u ion. Jou nal o
Resea ch & De elopmen , 17(9),160-163
O iginal A icle
Jou nal o Resea ch and De elopmen
A Mul idisciplina y In e na ional Le el Re e ed and Double Blind Pee Re iewed, Open Access
ISSN : 2230-9578 | Websi e: h ps://j d b.o g Volume-17, Issue-9(V)| Sep embe 2025
161
Mo eo e , ins i u ional educa ion and en ep eneu ship de elopmen p og ams conduc ed by ins i u ions like
he Indian Council o Ag icul u al Resea ch (ICAR) and non-go e nmen o ganiza ions ha e inc eased women's skills
in baking and packaging and ma ke ing. These p og ams align wi h he cons i u ional impe a i e o equi y and jus ice
and pinpoin women's economic con ibu ion a he hea o u al p og ess. Bu he e a e ins i u ional challenges o
o e come. The women engaged wi h baking en e p ises a e o en exposed o es ic ed access o o mal c edi acili ies,
es ic ed exposu e o new echnology, weak linkages wi h he ma ke , and social cons ain s o hei mobili y and
decision-making au ho i y. The policy ini ia i e and ield eali y gap c ea es a esea ch impe a i e a a ious academic
le els. The esea ch pape endea o s o ind ou he link be ween u al de elopmen and women's empowe men and
employmen h ough bake y ac i i ies. The pape makes e e ence o seconda y da a om o icial su eys and epo s
and case s udies o examine how employmen h ough bake y ac i i ies p omo es women's economic and social
posi ion. The pape goes u he and iden i ies challenges emaining and sugges s means h ough which mic o-
indus ies based on skills like bake ies can help ealize India's cons i u ional concep o sus ainable and inclusi e
de elopmen .
Objec i es:
1. To examine he ole o he bake y indus y in c ea ing employmen oppo uni ies o u al women in India.
2. To s udy go e nmen policies and schemes such as PMFME, NRLM, and MUDRA and hei impac on women
en ep eneu s in he bake y sec o .
3. To iden i y he key challenges aced by u al women in en e ing and sus aining employmen in he bake y indus y,
including access o c edi , echnology, and ma ke s.
4. To sugges policy measu es and s a egies o s eng hening women’s pa icipa ion in he bake y indus y as a
pa hway o sus ainable u al de elopmen .
Re iew o he Li e a u e:
1. Women Empowe men h ough Food P ocessing – A Case S udy (Goel, Singla & Singh, 2018)
The case s udy was ca ied ou a Pa iala, Punjab, wi h a sample size o 25 emale pa icipan s
in ol ed in ood p ocessing ac i i ies. The esea ch compa ed hei socio-economic si ua ions p io and subsequen o
pa icipa ion in he sec o . The esea ch indica ed ha 64% o esponden s indica ed enhanced s anda ds o li ing, 60%
indica ed enhanced sa ing beha io , and 52% indica ed enhanced knowledge and a i udes. Women el empowe ed
wi h enhanced con idence wi h espec o decision-making a household le els as well. Howe e , challenges like high
cos o p oduc ions, aw ma e ials quali y being poo , and limi ed mechaniza ion cons ained scope o expansion. The
esea ch concluded ood p ocessing can p o ide an e ec i e ou e o women's empowe men , howe e , ques ions
ega ding sus ainabili y and scale need o be add essed. The esea ch is applicable as i illus a es ou comes on
empowe men akin o hose possible wi h espec o he baking indus y.
2. Sys ema ic Re iew on Women En ep eneu ship in Food P ocessing Sec o (D'Sil a & Bha , 2022)
The p esen pape is a sys ema ic li e a u e e iew o esea ch s udies ca ied ou du ing 1980-
2022 on women en ep eneu ship in ood p ocessing sec o s. The pape combines a ious indings using ABCD
amewo k (Ad an ages, Bene i s, Cons ain s, and Disad an ages). The li e a u e e iew e eals ha women
en ep eneu s ha e added signi ican ly o u al economies bu la ge gaps a e he e ega ding access o inance, aining,
and ma ke ing oppo uni ies. The i s majo d awback iden i ied is he absence o s udies a a sec o le el, especially a
bake y, dai y, o o he mic o ood uni s le el. The second inding is ha s udies a e gene ally based upon small-scale
su eys o quali a i e in e iews wi h limi ed scope o gene alizabili y. The au ho s belie e he e is a need o u he
s udies based upon quan i a i e da a and policy s udies. This is ele an o you esea ch pape as i makes i clea he e
is gap—a lack o di ec a en ion o bake y—and he e is a eason o jus i y doing i .
3. The Rele ance o Food P ocessing Indus y in Women Empowe men : A Case S udy o P ayag aj Dis ic
(Khan & Singh, 2023)
The case s udy was conduc ed in P ayag aj dis ic o U a P adesh o s udy ood p ocessing
indus y's con ibu ion o women's empowe men . The esea ch no ed women's p esence in he indus y being ela i ely
lowe and whe e e i exis s being es ic ed mos ly o labou -in ensi e and low-skilled posi ions. Disc imina ion,
social con en ions, and lack o knowledge ega ding schemes un by go e nmen s we e no ed o be key inhibi ions.
The esea ch u he no ed he con ibu ion o Sel Help G oups (SHGs), by i ue o which some access o
en ep eneu ship was gained by women, albei wi h p o i abili y and scale emaining limi ed. In spi e o all hese
es ic ions, imp o emen no ed by women was owa ds some inc ease in income, au onomy o e inances and
decision-making a home. The esea ch no ed he conclusion o a ise as unless he e is e ec i e policy backing and
communi y awa eness is a oused ega ding ood p ocessing and i s con ibu ion o women's empowe men , bene i s o
ood p ocessing by way o empowe ing women will emain es ic ed and ma ginal. Fo you pape , i illus a es
s uc u al challenges aced by women in he ood indus y wi h scope o compa ing wi h bake y-speci ic si ua ions.
4. Women De elopmen h ough Cooke y and Bake y Skill – A Case S udy (Kho , 2022)
The pape looked speci ically a he e ec upon socio-economic s a us b ough abou by aining p og ammes in
cooke y and baking skills. Pa icipan s comp ised women who we e ained in bake y skills, p oduc p epa a ion and in
Jou nal o Resea ch and De elopmen
A Mul idisciplina y In e na ional Le el Re e ed and Double Blind Pee Re iewed, Open Access
ISSN : 2230-9578 | Websi e: h ps://j d b.o g Volume-17, Issue-9(V)| Sep embe 2025
162
some ins ances ma ke ing and packaging. The esea ch showed pa icipan s enjoying inc eased income oppo uni y,
enhanced sel -con idence and decision-making powe a household and communi y le els. Some women began mic o-
en e p ises in ol ing baking and added o amily income o enhance hei s anda d o li ing. The esea ch lacked scope
and size wi h espec o samples and geog aphical co e age and ailed o quan i y long- e m sus ainabili y o Bake y
en e p ises. In spi e o hese d awbacks, esea ch illus a es he di ec empowe ing abili y o employmen in baking-
ela ed a eas. This is pa icula ly use ul o you esea ch since i ies u al women wi h baking skills and ou comes o
empowe men all a once.
Me hodology
The esea ch is conduc ed using seconda y da a ga he ed h ough a ious sou ces like PLFS, epo s om
MSME, publica ions by MoFPI, documen s by NRLM, and esea ch-based academic jou nals. The e is a desc ip i e
and analy ical examina ion o ind ou he in ol emen o women in he bake y sec o and i s e ec on empowe ing
hem. The esea ch is con ined o u al a eas and has poin ed ou bo h challenges and p ospec s o women in ol ed in
his sec o .
Da a Analysis and In e p e a ion
The able below p o ides majo s a is ics ega ding women's pa icipa ion in u al MPKPY-co e ed a eas o
he ood p ocessing and bake y indus ies in India. The s a is ics e lec hei wo k- o ce pa icipa ion,
en ep eneu ship, and independence h ough skill de elopmen ini ia i es and mic o-en e p ises. These a e good
indica o s o women's inc easing con ibu ion o u al employmen and empowe men .
Table 1: Key S a is ics on Women’s Pa icipa ion in Bake y and Food P ocessing
Diag am 1: Women’s Pa icipa ion in Indian Sec o s
Acco ding o Indus ood, he bake y p oduc s ma ke in India is expe iencing signi ican g ow h, wi h s ong
po en ial o expansion in he coming yea s. C edence Resea ch epo s ha he ozen bake y p oduc s segmen is also
wi nessing s eady g ow h, indica ing ising demand o con enience-based baked goods. Addi ionally, Mo do
In elligence highligh s he cake ma ke as one o he as es -g owing segmen s in he Indian bake y indus y. These
sou ces collec i ely show ha he bake y sec o is poised o subs an ial g ow h, o e ing oppo uni ies o women
en ep eneu s and businesses oo ed in local adi ions.
Ma ke Segmen
Value (2023)
P ojec ed Value (2032)
CAGR
Sou ce
Bake y P oduc s Ma ke
$12.6 billion
$29.4 billion
9.8%
Indus ood
F ozen Bake y P oduc s Ma ke
$1.21 billion
$2.34 billion
7.53%
C edence Resea ch
Cake Ma ke
$2.10 billion
$3.95 billion
13.47%
Mo do In elligence
Table 2: Ma ke Insigh s Rela ed o Bake y Indus y in India
Sou ce
S a is ics
Yea
PLFS
32.8% ( emale labou o ce pa icipa ion)
2021
MoFPI
70.44 lakh women wo ke s in ood p ocessing
2022
NRLM (P ayag aj)
2.8 lakh u al women sel - elian h ough SHGs
2025
MSME Repo
71% women-owned mic o-en e p ises con ibu ing o employmen
2024
Jou nal o Resea ch and De elopmen
A Mul idisciplina y In e na ional Le el Re e ed and Double Blind Pee Re iewed, Open Access
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163
Diag am 2: Bake y Indus y in India
Conclusion
The esea ch poin s ou inc easing in ol emen o women in he baking and ood p ocessing indus y in u al
India du ing he 75 h yea o he Indian Cons i u ion. Da a and li e a u e show ha skill de elopmen ini ia i es, sel -
help g oups, and mic o-en e p ises ha e empowe ed women inancially and socially and inc eased hei con idence
le el and decision-making capaci ies and con ibu ion o amily income. Gi en hese ini ia i es, howe e , key
challenges like es ic ed access o inance, echnology, and ma ke ing oppo uni y s ill hold back g ow h and long- e m
sus ainabili y. The esea ch poin s ou he impe a i es o policy suppo a selec ed le els, aining schemes, and
in as uc u al de elopmen o u he enhance women's in ol emen and c ea e sus ainable u al de elopmen .
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