Odisha Disburses Over ₹347 Crore to SHGs, Surpasses 26 Lakh Lakhpati Didi Milestone

Bhubaneswar: Reinforcing its focus on women-led economic growth and community entrepreneurship, the Odisha government on Wednesday announced financial assistance worth more than ₹347 crore for Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and women’s federations at the State-level Subhadra Shakti Vision Summit held at Mission Shakti Bhawan in Bhubaneswar.

The summit brought together around 330 Executive Committee members of District Level Federations (DLFs) representing all 30 districts and served as a platform to outline Odisha’s roadmap for women’s empowerment under the Vision-2036 framework.

Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Women & Child Development, Mission Shakti and Tourism, Pravati Parida, released ₹147.76 crore as Interest Subvention support benefiting 2,88,198 SHGs across the State. The assistance is aimed at reducing financial burdens and improving access to credit for women-led groups.

As part of the financial support package, 23,536 SHGs from 26 districts received ₹45.71 crore under the Revolving Fund (RF) programme to strengthen internal lending and enterprise activities. During the event, representatives of Maa Mangala SHG and Sriram SHG from Khordha district received assistance cheques of ₹30,000 each.

Further boosting community-led development, the government disbursed ₹189.57 crore under the Community Investment Fund (CIF) to 624 Gram Panchayat Level Federations (GPLFs) across 27 districts. Representatives of Abhayamukhi GPLF and Gualipada GPLF from Puri district received financial support of ₹35 lakh each.

Additionally, 656 Area Level Federations (ALFs) from 15 districts were extended ₹9.64 crore under the Vulnerability Reduction Fund (VRF) to strengthen social protection and livelihood resilience. Representatives from Rampur and Jahna ALFs of Jajpur district received cheques worth ₹1.50 lakh each.

Addressing the gathering, Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida said women’s entrepreneurship would remain central to Odisha’s ambition of becoming a prosperous and developed economy by 2036. She emphasized the government’s commitment to transforming SHG members into self-reliant business leaders and drivers of local economic growth.

Highlighting progress under the Lakhpati Didi initiative, she announced that Odisha has already surpassed its target and created 26,39,909 Lakhpati Didis—crossing the 25 lakh milestone nearly a year ahead of schedule.

The summit also featured discussions on expanding women-led enterprises, creating Mahalakshpati Didi and Crorepati Didi entrepreneurs, strengthening Producer Groups and Producer Companies, improving market access, deepening financial inclusion, and showcasing successful livelihood models from different districts.

Mission Shakti Department Commissioner-cum-Secretary Manasi Nimbhal, Director Dr. Monika Priyadarshini, General Manager and Convenor of SLBC Odisha Pranab Kumar Biswas, senior officials, banking representatives and partner organisations attended the event, while Mission Shakti members from across the State joined virtually.