Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated International Women’s Day in Gujarat’s Navsari on Saturday by interacting with ‘Lakhpati Didis’.
During the event, PM Modi engaged in a conversation with ten selected Lakhpati Didis and honoured five of them with certificates. He acknowledged and lauded the ‘Lakhpati Didis’ for their contribution and for inspiring thousands of women across the nation through their work.
During this interaction, the Lakhpati Didis shared their stories with the Prime Minister, and PM Modi expressed his gratitude to the women for empowering other women, both socially and financially.
The Prime Minister is also scheduled to attend the ‘Lakhpati Didi Sammelan’ at Vansi-Borsi, where he will distribute over Rs 450 crore in financial aid to more than 2.5 lakh women from over 25,000 Self-Help Groups (SHGs) across the state.
A documentary highlighting the success of the Lakhpati Didi Scheme in Gujarat will be showcased, along with the launch of two significant state-specific initiatives aimed at promoting financial independence among women.
The ‘Lakhpati Didi Yojana,’ launched by the Prime Minister on August 15, 2023, focusses on empowering women entrepreneurs by recognising those who earn Rs 10,000 or more per month and have an annual income of at least Rs 1 lakh through activities like agriculture, animal husbandry, and small industries.
Approximately 1.5 lakh women in Gujarat have already attained this milestone.
The ‘Lakhpati Didi Sammelan’ will see the participation of nearly one lakh women from Navsari, Valsad, and Dang districts, most of whom are either part of SHGs that have achieved the Lakhpati Didi status or aspire to do so.
Following the event, a public function will take place, where PM Modi will introduce two state-level schemes — G-SAFAL and G-MAITRI — designed to uplift women from marginalised communities and foster rural entrepreneurship.
The G-SAFAL (Gujarat Scheme for Better Livelihoods for Antyodaya Families) initiative, which will be rolled out on March 8, aims to support the livelihoods of women from Antyodaya families by enhancing their financial independence.
Over the next five years, this scheme is expected to benefit 50,000 Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) cardholder families across two aspirational districts and 13 aspirational talukas in Gujarat. The programme will provide financial assistance and entrepreneurial training to women from SHGs within Antyodaya families.
Each participating woman will receive Rs 1 lakh in financial aid along with vocational training, with a total assistance pool of Rs 500 crore allocated to benefit 50,000 women. To ensure effective implementation, field coaches will be assigned, with one mentor guiding 50 to 60 women through weekly coaching and capacity-building sessions.
In a bid to foster rural startups and promote social entrepreneurship, the G-MAITRI (Gujarat Mentorship and Acceleration of Individuals for Transforming Rural Income) scheme will also be introduced.
The initiative aims to support rural entrepreneurs and strengthen the startup ecosystem in Gujarat by providing necessary resources and funding. The Gujarat Social Enterprise Fund (G-SEF) has earmarked Rs 50 crore over the next five years to assist startups dedicated to improving rural livelihoods.
Through this scheme, over 10 lakh rural women and youth will receive livelihood opportunities.
The G-MAITRI scheme is designed to support more than 150 startups over the next five years through seed and scale startup programmes.
Grants ranging from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 30 lakh will be provided to startups, with seed-stage startups receiving Rs 20 lakh and scale-stage startups eligible for up to Rs 30 lakh.
This initiative will not only foster economic growth in rural areas but also encourage innovation and self-reliance among aspiring entrepreneurs.
(IANS)
