In a major push towards women’s economic empowerment, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in Budget 2026 that self-help entrepreneurs will be set up as community-owned retail outlets for women. The initiative aims to strengthen grassroots entrepreneurship by enabling women-led self-help groups to run local retail networks, improve market access for women-made products, and create sustainable livelihood opportunities at the community level.
The minister announced about 'She-Marts', which marks for rural women-led enterprises to build on the success of the Lakhpati Didi programme.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, "Building on the success of the Lakhpati Didi program, I propose to help women take the next step from credit-linked livelihoods to being owners of enterprises. Self-help entrepreneurs will be set up as community-owned retail outlets within the cluster-level federations through enhanced and innovative financing instruments."
The objective of this scheme is to empower women associated with self-help groups (SHGs) and increase their annual income.
The budget clarified that the Lakhpati Didi scheme will not only provide training to women but will also open more retail outlets across the country to sell their products. This will help connect women to markets, create sustainable income sources, and promote entrepreneurship. This government initiative will open new opportunities for women in both rural and urban areas.
What is the Lakhpati Didi Scheme?
The Lakhpati Didi Scheme is an ambitious initiative of the central government aimed at empowering women associated with self-help groups (SHGs) to become financially independent.
Under this scheme, interest-free loans up to Rs 5 lakh are being provided to women associated with self-help groups. The government provides an interest subsidy on the loans received under the scheme, so that the beneficiaries are not burdened with the actual interest.
