Rural Development and Women Empowerment: A Study of Employment in the Bakery Industry in the 75th Year of the Indian Constitution

Journal of Research and Development A Multidisciplinary International Level Referred and Double Blind Peer Reviewed, Open Access ISSN : 2230-9578 | Website: https://jrdrvb.org Volume-17, Issue-9(V)| September 2025 160 Rural Development and Women Empowerment: A Study of Employment in the Bakery Industry in the 75th Year of the Indian Constitution Deepali Sunil Koli 1, Dr. M. B. Desai2 1Research Scholar, Department of Economics, Shivaji University, Kolhapur 2Professor and Research Guide, Department of Economics, Chhatrapati Rajarshree Shahu College, Kolhapur Manuscript ID: JRD -2025-170940 ISSN: 2230-9578 Volume 17 Issue 9 (V) Pp. 160-163 Sept. 2025 Submitted:15 Aug. 2025 Revised: 25 Aug. 2025 Accepted: 10 Sept. 2025 Published: 30 Sept. 2025 Abstract Rural development and women's empowerment are closely connected in the socio-economic context of India. As the country commemorates its 75th year of its Constitution, it is crucial to assess sectors promoting inclusive growth and sustainable livelihoods. The food processing sector-based bakery industry has proved to be a rewarding opportunity for rural women by providing low investment, skillbased, and locally Marketable employment prospects. The research studies the contribution of the bakery sector to increasing women's contribution to rural workforce participation, household income improvement, and entrepreneurial capacity building. Based on secondary data extracted through sources like the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), reports by MSME and MoFPI and case studies from institutional training schemes, the paper observes and analyzes women's participation levels in baking enterprises, socio-economic benefits emanating from such work, and challenges involving access to credit, training, and marketing. The research shows that employment related to bakeries is promoting women's economic autonomy and addressing wider rural development outcomes through self-help groups (SHGs), micro-enterprises, and PMFME and MUDRA schemes sponsored by governments. However, structural inhibitions like access to limited formal credit facilities, lack of technological appreciation, and gendered societal attitudes prevent full participation. The research concludes that scale-up baking-themed training is imperative; policy support needs to be strengthened; and connecting women entrepreneurs with broader marketplace avenues is necessary to meet rural development and gender parity outcomes as per India's constitutional vision. Keywords: Rural Development, Empowerment of Women, Bakery Sector, Food Processing, Employment, Constitution of India, MSME, PMFME Introduction Rural development and women's empowerment have been main planks of India's developmental agenda ever since independence. On its seventy-fifth anniversary when the Indian Constitution is being remembered and commemorated upon, its ideals of equality, justice and inclusive growth hold particular significance for rural women who are afflicted with various socio-economic maladies. There has been unprecedented advancement in education and policymaking yet rural women are equally faced with challenges of unemployment and limited livelihood avenues and social inequality and thus their empowerment is an area critical to sustainable national development. In this light, the baking sector, as one element of the larger food processing sector, has become a convenient and potentially rewarding opportunity for women's work. Due to its low investment implications, uncomplicated technology, and stable demand for its services, it is appropriate for rural areas. Working with baking businesses not only brings economic autonomy to women but also enhances household stability, builds entrepreneurial skills, and achieves community-level development. Several schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME), National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), and MUDRA Yojana promoted women-headed micro and small enterprises located in food clusters. Quick Response Code: Website: https://jrdrvb.org/ DOI: Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) This is an open access journal, and articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License, which allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work noncommercially, as long as appropriate credit is given and the new creations ae licensed under the idential terms. Address for correspondence: Deepali Sunil Koli, Research Scholar, Department of Economics,Shivaji University, Kolhapur How to cite this article: Deepali Sunil Koli, M.B. Desai. (2025).Rural Development and Women Empowerment: A Study of Employment in the Bakery Industry in the 75th Year of the Indian Constitution. Journal of Research & Development, 17(9),160-163 Original Article Journal of Research and Development A Multidisciplinary International Level Referred and Double Blind Peer Reviewed, Open Access ISSN : 2230-9578 | Website: https://jrdrvb.org Volume-17, Issue-9(V)| September 2025 161 Moreover, institutional education and entrepreneurship development programs conducted by institutions like the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and non-government organizations have increased women's skills in baking and packaging and marketing. These programs align with the constitutional imperative to equity and justice and pinpoint women's economic contribution at the heart of rural progress. But there are institutional challenges to overcome. The women engaged with baking enterprises are often exposed to restricted access to formal credit facilities, restricted exposure to new technology, weak linkages with the market, and social constraints to their mobility and decision-making authority. The policy initiative and field reality gap creates a research imperative at various academic levels. The research paper endeavors to find out the link between rural development and women's empowerment and employment through bakery activities. The paper makes reference to secondary data from official surveys and reports and case studies to examine how employment through bakery activities promotes women's economic and social position. The paper goes further and identifies challenges remaining and suggests means through which microindustries based on skills like bakeries can help realize India's constitutional concept of sustainable and inclusive development. Objectives: 1. To examine the role of the bakery industry in creating employment opportunities for rural women in India. 2. To study government policies and schemes such as PMFME, NRLM, and MUDRA and their impact on women entrepreneurs in the bakery sector. 3. To identify the key challenges faced by rural women in entering and sustaining employment in the bakery industry, including access to credit, technology, and markets. 4. To suggest policy measures and strategies for strengthening women’s participation in the bakery industry as a pathway to sustainable rural development. Review of the Literature: 1. Women Empowerment through Food Processing – A Case Study (Goel, Singla & Singh, 2018) The case study was carried out at Patiala, Punjab, with a sample size of 25 female participants involved in food processing activities. The research compared their socio-economic situations prior and subsequent to participation in the sector. The research indicated that 64% of respondents indicated enhanced standards of living, 60% indicated enhanced saving behavior, and 52% indicated enhanced knowledge and attitudes. Women felt empowered with enhanced confidence with respect to decision-making at household levels as well. However, challenges like high cost of productions, raw materials quality being poor, and limited mechanization constrained scope for expansion. The research concluded food processing can provide an effective route to women's empowerment, however, questions regarding sustainability and scale need to be addressed. The research is applicable as it illustrates outcomes on empowerment akin to those possible with respect to the baking industry. 2. Systematic Review on Women Entrepreneurship in Food Processing Sector (D'Silva & Bhat, 2022) The present paper is a systematic literature review of research studies carried out during 19802022 on women entrepreneurship in food processing sectors. The paper combines various findings using ABCD framework (Advantages, Benefits, Constraints, and Disadvantages). The literature review reveals that women entrepreneurs have added significantly to rural economies but large gaps are there regarding access to finance, training, and marketing opportunities. The first major drawback identified is the absence of studies at a sector level, especially at bakery, dairy, or other micro food units level. The second finding is that studies are generally based upon small-scale surveys or qualitative interviews with limited scope for generalizability. The authors believe there is a need for further studies based upon quantitative data and policy studies. This is relevant to your research paper as it makes it clear there is gap—a lack of direct attention to bakery—and there is a reason to justify doing it. 3. The Relevance of Food Processing Industry in Women Empowerment: A Case Study of Prayagraj District (Khan & Singh, 2023) The case study was conducted in Prayagraj district of Uttar Pradesh to study food processing industry's contribution to women's empowerment. The research noted women's presence in the industry being relatively lower and wherever it exists being restricted mostly to labour-intensive and low-skilled positions. Discrimination, social conventions, and lack of knowledge regarding schemes run by governments were noted to be key inhibitions. The research further noted the contribution of Self Help Groups (SHGs), by virtue of which some access to entrepreneurship was gained by women, albeit with profitability and scale remaining limited. In spite of all these restrictions, improvement noted by women was towards some increase in income, autonomy over finances and decision-making at home. The research noted the conclusion to arise as unless there is effective policy backing and community awareness is aroused regarding food processing and its contribution to women's empowerment, benefits to food processing by way of empowering women will remain restricted and marginal. For your paper, it illustrates structural challenges faced by women in the food industry with scope for comparing with bakery-specific situations. 4. Women Development through Cookery and Bakery Skill – A Case Study (Khot, 2022) The paper looked specifically at the effect upon socio-economic status brought about by training programmes in cookery and baking skills. Participants comprised women who were trained in bakery skills, product preparation and in Journal of Research and Development A Multidisciplinary International Level Referred and Double Blind Peer Reviewed, Open Access ISSN : 2230-9578 | Website: https://jrdrvb.org Volume-17, Issue-9(V)| September 2025 162 some instances marketing and packaging. The research showed participants enjoying increased income opportunity, enhanced self-confidence and decision-making power at household and community levels. Some women began microenterprises involving baking and added to family income to enhance their standard of living. The research lacked scope and size with respect to samples and geographical coverage and failed to quantify long-term sustainability of Bakery enterprises. In spite of these drawbacks, research illustrates the direct empowering ability of employment in bakingrelated areas. This is particularly useful to your research since it ties rural women with baking skills and outcomes of empowerment all at once. Methodology The research is conducted using secondary data gathered through various sources like PLFS, reports from MSME, publications by MoFPI, documents by NRLM, and research-based academic journals. There is a descriptive and analytical examination to find out the involvement of women in the bakery sector and its effect on empowering them. The research is confined to rural areas and has pointed out both challenges and prospects for women involved in this sector. Data Analysis and Interpretation The table below provides major statistics regarding women's participation in rural MPKPY-covered areas of the food processing and bakery industries in India. The statistics reflect their work-force participation, entrepreneurship, and independence through skill development initiatives and micro-enterprises. These are good indicators of women's increasing contribution to rural employment and empowerment. Table 1: Key Statistics on Women’s Participation in Bakery and Food Processing Diagram 1: Women’s Participation in Indian Sectors According to Indusfood, the bakery products market in India is experiencing significant growth, with strong potential for expansion in the coming years. Credence Research reports that the frozen bakery products segment is also witnessing steady growth, indicating rising demand for convenience-based baked goods. Additionally, Mordor Intelligence highlights the cake market as one of the fastest-growing segments in the Indian bakery industry. These sources collectively show that the bakery sector is poised for substantial growth, offering opportunities for women entrepreneurs and businesses rooted in local traditions. Market Segment Value (2023) Projected Value (2032) CAGR Source Bakery Products Market $12.6 billion $29.4 billion 9.8% Indusfood Frozen Bakery Products Market $1.21 billion $2.34 billion 7.53% Credence Research Cake Market $2.10 billion $3.95 billion 13.47% Mordor Intelligence Table 2: Market Insights Related to Bakery Industry in India Source Statistics Year PLFS 32.8% (female labour force participation) 2021 MoFPI 70.44 lakh women workers in food processing 2022 NRLM (Prayagraj) 2.8 lakh rural women self-reliant through SHGs 2025 MSME Report 71% women-owned micro-enterprises contributing to employment 2024 Journal of Research and Development A Multidisciplinary International Level Referred and Double Blind Peer Reviewed, Open Access ISSN : 2230-9578 | Website: https://jrdrvb.org Volume-17, Issue-9(V)| September 2025 163 Diagram 2: Bakery Industry in India Conclusion The research points out increasing involvement of women in the baking and food processing industry in rural India during the 75th year of the Indian Constitution. Data and literature show that skill development initiatives, selfhelp groups, and micro-enterprises have empowered women financially and socially and increased their confidence level and decision-making capacities and contribution to family income. Given these initiatives, however, key challenges like restricted access to finance, technology, and marketing opportunity still hold back growth and long-term sustainability. The research points out the imperatives of policy support at selected levels, training schemes, and infrastructural development to further enhance women's involvement and create sustainable rural development. References: 1. Goel, S., Singla, S., & Singh, R. (2018). Women in food processing: A study of Patiala district. International Journal of Research in Social Sciences, 8(7), 1–10. Retrieved from https://www.ijmra.us 2. D’Silva, P., & Bhat, R. (2022). Women entrepreneurship in food processing: A systematic review. International Journal of Commerce and Business Studies, 13(2), 1–10. Retrieved from https://ijcsbe.supublication.com 3. Khan, M., & Singh, R. (2023). The relevance of food processing industry in women empowerment: A case study of Prayagraj district. ResearchGate. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net 4. Khot, S. (2022). Cookery and bakery skill training: Impact on rural women’s empowerment. International Journal of Research in Humanities, Arts and Literature, 10(3), 1–6. Retrieved from https://www.ijrhals.com 5. Kumar, N. (2024). Women improving nutrition through self-help groups in India. ScienceDirect. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com 6. Singh, S. P. (2012). The food processing industry in India: Challenges and opportunities. Agricultural Economics Research Review, 25(1), 1–14. Retrieved from https://ageconsearch.umn.edu 7. SEWA (Self-Employed Women’s Association). (2015). Kamla: Empowering women through food processing. Retrieved from https://www.sewa.org 8. World Bank. (2017). The hills are alive: Credit, livelihood, and micro-enterprises empower women’s groups in North East India. Retrieved from https://blogs.worldbank.org 9. Amrita SREE. (2024). Empowering women through entrepreneurship in food processing. Retrieved from https://www.amritapuri.org 10. Vijayalakshmy, K. (2023). Role of Indian women's self-help groups for the empowerment of rural women. European Journal of Development Research, 35(4), 1–15. Retrieved from https://www.ej-develop.org