Lucknow, March 24 : Nearly 50 per cent of the startups in Uttar Pradesh are headed by women, according to a government spokesman. Akshay Tripathi, special secretary, IT and Electronics, said that out of 8,714 registered startups in the state, 4305 are run by women entrepreneurs, The state IT department provides extra 50 per cent financial assistance to women entrepreneurs. t may be pointed out that the department, a nodal agency for startups, is providing financial assistance of up to Rs 7.5 lakh to startups. In addition to this, the government also provides Rs 17,500 monthly sustenance allowance to them. Neha Misra, whose expertise lies in investment, insurance and pension planning and other financial matters, started 'The Fin Lit Project' to educate people on financial literacy. Misra, who hails from Lucknow, developed a mobile application that has so far been downloaded by close to 5000 people. She also makes people aware of financial planning and investment through seminars and webinars also. Likewise, there are thousands of other women startup owners who are doing a commendable job. /IANS