Empowering Rural Matriarchs: India Launches Phase II of the National Entrepreneurship Drive
Fostering innovation, digital inclusion, and economic independence for over 60 million Lakhpati Didis across the hinterland.
In a transformative push toward decentralized economic empowerment, the Government of India today launched the second phase of its flagship National Campaign on Entrepreneurship under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM). Scheduled to run for three months until November 21, this strategic extension marks a crucial milestone in turning rural women into resilient micro-entrepreneurs and fueling the nation’s ambitious vision of creating six crore (60 million) Lakhpati Didis.
Spearheaded by the Ministry of Rural Development, Phase II expands the campaign's scope across farm and non-farm livelihood sectors. The initiative focuses on bolstering grassroots enterprise frameworks, fortifying the Community Enterprise Promotion Cadre, driving digital and e-commerce adoption, and scaling Producer Groups and Producer Enterprises.
Key Targets and Strategic Pillars
| Objective Sector | Target Allocation |
|---|---|
| Capacity Building | Training 50,000 Community Resource Persons & 500,000 SHG women in entrepreneurship |
| Youth Integration | Building a comprehensive database of 500,000 adolescent girls from SHG households |
| Enterprise Formalization | Extending formal business registration & access support to 50,000 enterprises |
| Producer Enterprises | Scaling membership base by an additional 200,000 members |
| Sustainable Farming | Transitioning 2,000,000 women to eco-friendly agro-ecological practices |
| Digital Market Access | Onboarding 25,000 SHG entrepreneurs onto mainstream e-commerce platforms |
By bridging the gap between traditional rural livelihoods and modern marketplace dynamics, the campaign establishes an inclusive ecosystem where self-help group members step confidently into ownership roles. Integrating digital commerce and formal financial structures not only secures sustainable household incomes across rural India, but also ensures that grassroot innovation remains the bedrock of national economic growth.
