Using a comprehensive dataset on micro, small, and medium enterprises in India, we examine whether the gender of the owner matters in firm performance and in credit access from institutional sources. The study finds significant underperformance in the size, growth, and efficiency of firms owned by women when compared to those owned by men. In line with the evidence in the existing literature, our findings also support the view that women-owned firms are disadvantaged in the market for small-business credit. These findings suggest that addressing gender discrimination in the small-business credit market could help, partly, in bridging the performance gap between male-and female-owned firms.

This article tests whether manufacturing has acted as an 'engine of growth' for the Indian states in the post-1990s.Our methodology involves regressing the state domestic product (SDP) growth rates on growth rates of manufacturing. If the coefficient of manufacturing growth is higher than the share of manufacturing in SDP, this is interpreted as supporting the engine of growth hypothesis. The results indicate that manufacturing has acted as an engine of growth in the postnineties despite its declining share over the period. However, our study rules out the role of scale economies propelling productivity growth in the sector. Our analysis also suggests that it is primarily factor accumulation and not productivity growth that is driving output. Our characterisation of states based on output growth, TFP growth and employment growth suggests that for some states the current trend of growing without creating employment and improving TFP will not be sustainable.

The present study investigates the growth barriers of informal sector enterprises in India. The empirical analysis is based on the National Sample Survey Organization's unit-level data for three years, 2000-2001, 2005-6, and 2010-11. The results of the study reveal: proprietary and large firms survive and grow; enterprises managed by women are less likely to decline; inadequate power supply poses a severe growth obstacle to all categories of firms; and proprietary firms encounter capital shortage while large firms are constrained by the non-availability of raw materials. We do not find evidence of sub-contracting acting as an enabling factor in firm growth.

This paper forms part of a larger study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), United Kingdom. We are thankful to the ESRC for financial support. We are also thankful to the Central Statistical Organization for providing us access to the data and to Professor William Greene for many suggestions and comments.

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