New Delhi: In a significant stride towards realizing the Prime Minister’s vision of creating 3 Crore ‘Lakhpati Didis,’ the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) under the Ministry of Rural Development organized a National Stakeholders Consultative Workshop today. The focus was on integrating Women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) into Service Sector Enterprises.
Inaugurating the workshop, Charanjit Singh, Additional Secretary for Rural Livelihoods, emphasized the importance of the event, marking it as a historical day. Singh reiterated the mission’s commitment to achieving the Prime Minister’s vision, highlighting the crucial role of the services sector, which currently contributes about 50% of GDP and 31% of jobs. “It is imperative to explore a sub-scheme for the wider engagement of the SHG community, ensuring their economic upliftment and enabling them to become ‘Lakhpati Didis,'” Singh stated.
Swati Sharma, Joint Secretary for Rural Livelihoods, set the context by recalling the Prime Minister’s announcement on August 15, 2023, and his subsequent interaction with ‘Lakhpati Didis’ on March 11, 2024. She noted that these events have inspired both the National and State Rural Livelihoods Missions to turn this vision into reality. “The time has come to focus on demand-based economic activities. DAY-NRLM, along with its various stakeholders, will guide, train, and support SHG Didis to establish successful Service Sector Enterprises,” Sharma added.
Speaking on the occasion, Smriti Sharan, Joint Secretary for Rural Livelihoods, underlined the importance of convergence in achieving the ambitious goal of ‘Lakhpati Didis.’ She stressed that the Ministry, in collaboration with its partners, will leverage every possible opportunity to drive the economic transformation of SHG Didis.
The workshop aimed to understand the current landscape, opportunities, potential, and challenges faced by women SHGs in the service sector. It also sought to identify best practices and successful models of integrating women SHGs into service enterprises and to develop a strategic roadmap for their successful integration into the service sector economy. Participants included representatives from eleven ministries, ten State Rural Livelihoods Missions, and other stakeholders, including Sector Skill Councils, National Resource Organizations, and Technical Support Agencies. The event facilitated open discussions, fostering active engagement among participants.