Kiran Kumari from Bokaro in Jharkhand was a hawker. Now, she is a proud toy and gift shop owner after receiving a loan of Rs 2 lakh, thanks to PM Narendra Modi’s flagship scheme, Mudra Yojana.

Munirabanu Shabbir Hussain Malek from Surat received a Mudra loan of Rs 1.77 lakh, took LMV driving training, and is now earning Rs 25,000 per month by driving an auto rickshaw.

Veena Devi from Kathua District of Jammu and Kashmir, who worked as a weaver, received a Mudra loan of Rs 1 lakh and is now one of the leading manufacturers of Pashmina shawls in her area.

Clearly, welfarism under Modi has truly been a means to empower women. India now has over 1.76 lakh start-ups, with at least 45% of them being founded or co-founded by women entrepreneurs. The number of women seeking business loans has more than tripled in the last 11 years.

If there is one area that has seen a sea change in terms of fabulous opportunities for women, it is women’s participation in the Indian Armed Forces, with a renewed focus on inclusivity, equal opportunities, and breaking gender barriers. The Permanent Commission, for example, has now been extended to women officers in the Indian Army, allowing them to serve in command roles and have longer careers—previously limited to only Short Service Commission.

Over 557 women officers have received Permanent Commissions. In 2021, the government removed gender barriers, allowing women to join the NDA, a significant step towards enabling women to train for officer roles in the armed forces from an early stage. In 2023, a proposal granting women soldiers, sailors, and air warriors the same leave terms as female officers—including 180 days of maternity leave, 360 days of childcare leave, and 180 days for child adoption—was approved. This aims to improve work-life balance and encourage more women to join the forces.

The Modi government also opened combat roles for women, disrupting traditional restrictions. In 2015,........

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