India Empowers Rural Women Entrepreneurs: Phase 2 Launched

The Indian government has officially commenced the second phase of its national entrepreneurship campaign, integral to the rural livelihoods mission. This strategic initiative seeks to transform the livelihood activities of women within self-help groups (SHGs) into viable, sustainable enterprises, contributing to the broader objective of establishing six crore ‘Lakhpati Didis’.

Rural Development Secretary Rohit Kansal inaugurated the ‘National Campaign on Entrepreneurship-II’ on World Entrepreneurs Day. The three-month program, running from August 21 to November 21, focuses on formalizing both agricultural and non-agricultural businesses while enhancing the market presence of products developed by SHGs.

Driving Enterprise Transformation

Building upon the foundational insights gained from its initial phase, this new iteration prioritizes enhanced enterprise support and the reinforcement of producer organizations. The campaign also aims to streamline various implementation procedures, ensuring greater efficiency and impact.

Key objectives for this phase include specific numerical targets designed to bolster rural entrepreneurship:

• Providing entrepreneurship and livelihood training to 500,000 SHG women.
• Assisting in the formalization of 50,000 enterprises.
• Training 50,000 community cadres.
• Expanding producer groups and enterprises by adding 200,000 members.
• Encouraging agro-ecological practices among 2 million women.
• Integrating 25,000 SHG members onto e-commerce platforms.

Expanding Market Access and Support

To further empower these enterprises, the campaign will actively promote digital commerce, leveraging platforms such as the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) and Government e-Marketplace (GeM). It will also facilitate events designed to connect producers with buyers, aggregators, retailers, and institutional purchasers.

Community resource persons and business development service providers will be recognized as ‘Udyam Sakhis’, acknowledging their pivotal role in nurturing rural enterprises. State governments are expected to implement a range of training initiatives, encompassing business planning, financial literacy, product development, branding, and digital marketing skills.

During the launch, Secretary Kansal also unveiled ‘Sankalp Shakti’, a new monthly technical bulletin for rural enterprises under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission. The ministry underscored that the campaign’s core intent is to strengthen the farm and non-farm livelihood structure by converting viable activities into robust, women-led enterprises, moving beyond mere training provision.