Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to interact with Lakhpati Didis in Jalgaon, Maharashtra, on August 25. During this event, he will distribute certificates to 11 lakh newly recognized Lakhpati Didis, as announced by Union Minister for Rural Development and Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, in New Delhi.
In addition to the certificate distribution, the Prime Minister will release a revolving fund, the Community Investment Fund, amounting to Rs 2,500 crore. This fund is expected to benefit approximately 48 lakh members of 4.3 lakh Self Help Groups (SHGs). Furthermore, the Prime Minister will also sanction a Rs 5,000 crore bank loan to support 25.8 lakh members of 2,35,400 SHGs.
The event will be virtually accessible from around 30,000 locations across 34 states and Union Territories, including state capitals, district headquarters, and Cluster Level Federations (CLFs).
The Lakhpati Didi initiative is part of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), under the Ministry of Rural Development. Lakhpati Didis are women who have achieved an annual income of Rs 1 lakh or more. As of June 30, 2024, the DAY-NRLM has mobilized 10.05 crore women into 90.86 lakh SHGs.
The Union Minister highlighted that Lakhpati Didis have not only improved their own financial situations but have also emerged as role models within their communities. He further shared that the Rural Development Ministry has already created 1 crore Lakhpati Didis, with a target to increase this number to 3 crore within the next three years.
One of the Community Resource Persons (CRPs) involved in the mission has played a pivotal role, contributing to the creation of 95 Lakhpati Didis. For the financial year 2024-25, the Government of India has proposed a budgetary outlay of Rs 15,047 crore for DAY-NRLM, which is intended to support further livelihood interventions for SHG members.