The emerging landscape of entrepreneurship among Muslim women in India amid experiences of exclusion, discrimination and inequality

This paper attempts to understand the emerging entrepreneurship landscape among Muslim women in India in the backdrop of economic marginalization and exclusion from formal employment. Entrepreneurship appears as an alternate livelihood strategy that not only helps women seek autonomy and financial independence, the usual benefits of it, but also a greater sense of safety and security in the context of shrinking spaces for any display of religious symbols and practices in the public sphere in India. While reflecting on the everyday challenges of engaging in entrepreneurial work that Muslim women experience, this paper argues that intersecting episodes of crises – personal and political – can depress entrepreneurial aspirations and significantly affect the business. While reflecting on the strategies adopted by women to find comfort and motivation in continuing their entrepreneurial initiatives, this paper highlights the importance of faith, social networks, and everyday negotiation, which help women build resilience to continue their entrepreneurial work.