Research paper Impact Factor (GIF) 0.314 IJBARR E- ISSN -2347-856X ISSN -2348-0653 International Journal of Business and Administration Research Review, Vol.2, Issue.7, Oct - Dec, 2014. Page 104 RURAL WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP TOWARDS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL SUSTENANCE IN RURAL INDIA – A STUDY IN BANGALORE & BELGAUM RURAL DISTRICTS Ms. Sushama Bavle Ph.D Research Scholar, Pacific University of Higher Education & Research University, Udaipur, Rajasthan & Assoc. Professor & HOD, Commerce, Maharani Lakshmi Ammanni College for Women, Bangalore. Ms. Manjula Shekar Asst. Professor, Commerce Department, Maharani Lakshmi Ammanni College for Women, Bangalore. Abstract In India, poverty has remained the biggest challenge in its developmental efforts to bring about a perceptible change in the quality of life of its teeming millions. India has been, and continues to be, a predominantly rural country. According to the 2011 census, 68.84% of India’s population lives in villages. Besides, the incidence of poverty in India is much more severe in the villages than in the towns, the poverty ratio being 25.7% (2011 census). Sustainable development of an economy can be ensured only through economic and social sustenance of its population. Rural women entrepreneurship is an effective means of poverty alleviation towards economic and social sustenance. This paper is based on two Minor Research Project : 1) Poverty Alleviation through Rural Women Entrepreneurship in Bangalore and Belgaum Rural District 2) Sustainable Development of Rural Women Entrepreneurs through Micro Finance – A Study in Bangalore Rural District. The findings of the studies emphasize the importance of the contribution of rural women entrepreneurs to the family income in bringing about economic and social sustenance in the rural families. Microcredit and other services provided through various microfinance programmes and schemes has been instrumental in meeting the challenge of limited finance and in empowering the rural women entrepreneurs towards economic and social sustenance. Key Words: Rural Women Entrepreneurship, Microcredit, Economic Sustenance, Social Sustenance. 1. Poverty The Indian economy has been recognized as a fast developing economy with a relatively high rate of economic growth. Yet, in the midst of plenty there is poverty. There are a quite a few Indians appearing in the Forbes India list of rich in the world; even then the poverty ratio in India is relatively high. This paradoxical situation is because, in India, economic development is unbalanced with inequitable distribution of income and wealth. In 2012, according to the latest report by the Planning Commission of India (Tendulkar Committee) , 21.9% of all people in India fall below the international poverty line of US$ 1.25 per day. Over the last decade, poverty has witnessed a consistent decline with the levels dropping from 37.2% in 2004-05 to 29.8% in 2009-10. The number of poor is now estimated at 250 million, of which 200 million reside in rural India. According to the release from the Planning Commission, 25.7% of people in rural areas were below the poverty line and 13.7% in urban areas. This is comparable with 33.8% and 20.9%, respectively, in 2009-10, and 42% and 25.5%, respectively, in 2004-05. Table No.1: Percentage & Number of Poor Estimated by Tendulkar Method Poverty Ratio % Number of Poor (Million) Years Rural Urban Total Rural Urban Total 1993-94 50.1 31.8 45.3 328.6 74.5 403.7 2004-05 41.8 25.7 37.2 326.3 80.8 407.1 2011-12 25.7 13.7 21.9 216.5 52.8 269.3