Women have been among the most disadvantaged and oppressed section of our country with regard to access to and control over resources. Their status is closely linked to their economic position, which in turn depends upon their access to productive resources and opportunities for participation in economic activities. Studies reveal that most women have no easy access to credit from banks due to cumbersome procedures and inability of poor and usually illiterate/semi-literate women to provide adequate security demand by bank in the form of collaterals. The challenge is that if poor women are to be economically empowered, appropriate programmes and schemes are to be designed as to assist them in all respects.

Government of India launched the "Trade Related Entrepreneurship Assistance & Development" (TREAD) for Women during the 9th plan period keeping all the above said factors in mind. Even then, it was found that women still did not have easy access to credit as envisaged in the scheme. The present revised scheme of TREAD envisages that the selected NGOs will not only handle the disbursement of loans needed by women but would also provide them adequate counseling, training and assistance in developing markets. As per the scheme, financial assistance will be provided for self-employment ventures by women pursuing any kind of non-farm activity. Eligible applicants will be provided with Govt grant upto 30 % of the Project Cost as appraised by the lending institution, which would finance the remaining 70 % as loan assistance. With high levels of literacy and education, this scheme would be a boon to the women entrepreneurs of our State. The scheme as approved by Government of India ‘in toto' is published in this issue. I hope it would benefit the women entrepreneurs and that they make full advantage of this scheme.

Kerala, which is now emerging as a world software hub, has immense intellectual workforce and amenities. A Project Profile of a Medical Transcription unit is published in this issue. Medical Transcription is one of the easiest and highly professional IT related services which can be done by a computer literate, with good English speaking capability. I hope this would cater to the needs of the IT entrepreneurs and aspirants. The regular feature on the success stories of PMRY entrepreneurs are also included in this issue, which I hope would inspire more young talented unemployed to take up self-employment and that they emulate the achievements of these successful entrepreneurs.

With best wishes.