Prime Minister Narendra Modi will engage with Lakhpati Didis in Jalgaon, Maharashtra, on August 25, announced Union Minister for Rural Development and Agriculture Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The event will mark the distribution of certificates to 11 lakh new Lakhpati Didis, women who have achieved an annual income of Rs 1 lakh or more.
As part of the program, the Prime Minister will release a revolving fund—Community Investment Fund worth Rs 2,500 crore—which will benefit approximately 48 lakh members across 4.3 lakh Self Help Groups (SHGs). Additionally, a bank loan of Rs 5,000 crore will be announced, set to assist 25.8 lakh members from 2,35,400 SHGs. The event will be broadcast virtually to over 30,000 locations, including state capitals, district headquarters, and Cluster Level Federations (CLFs) across 34 states and Union Territories.
The Lakhpati Didi initiative is a part of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), spearheaded by the Ministry of Rural Development. The program aims to empower women economically, encouraging them to lift their families out of poverty and serve as role models in their communities.
As of June 30, 2024, over 10.05 crore women have been organized into 90.86 lakh SHGs under DAY-NRLM. The Ministry of Rural Development has already created 1 crore Lakhpati Didis and aims to increase this number to 3 crore in the next three years. Minister Chouhan highlighted that one Community Resource Person (CRP) has successfully created 95 Lakhpati Didis.
For the fiscal year 2024-25, the Government of India has allocated a budget of Rs 15,047 crore for DAY-NRLM. This increased funding will support further interventions to enhance the livelihoods of SHG members, promoting economic empowerment and fostering women-led development across the nation.