New Delhi: India’s flagship Lakhpati Didi initiative has expanded its reach, with the total number of beneficiaries climbing to 3.76 crore as of June 2026, according to a government factsheet released on Sunday.
The program, designed to promote sustainable household incomes through women’s entrepreneurship and diversified livelihoods, is implemented under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
The federal government has set an ambitious target to create six crore women entrepreneurs in rural areas by March 2029.
An independent assessment conducted by the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad, which surveyed 6,531 respondents across 17 states and union territories, highlighted significant economic gains among participants.
The study reported a 61 per cent increase in average monthly household income and a 61.7 per cent rise in average monthly savings within Lakhpati Didi households.
Launched by the government on August 15, 2023, the initiative initially targeted two crore women from self-help group (SHG) households. That target was subsequently revised upward to three crore in February 2024.
Official data indicates that 5.70 crore women have been identified as potential Lakhpati Didis across the country.
Under the program framework, a Lakhpati Didi is defined as a self-help group member whose household earns an annual income of at least one lakh rupees.
This benchmark evaluates total household earnings rather than individual income, factoring in net revenue generated from eligible farm and non-farm activities after accounting for expenses.
The earnings are required to remain sustainable across various agricultural seasons and business cycles.
The initiative relies on the institutional foundation of DAY-NRLM, which was originally launched in June 2011 to organise poor rural women into self-help groups. These groups foster regular savings, collective financial activities, and facilitate access to formal banking, credit, training, and market networks.
As of November 12, 2026, DAY-NRLM has mobilised approximately 10.13 crore self-help group members into 94.40 lakh groups.
This network operates through a broader institutional structure supported by Village Organisations and Cluster-Level Federations, allowing the government to implement the Lakhpati Didi initiative through existing community frameworks without establishing a parallel delivery mechanism.
(IANS)
