During the interim budget speech, the Central Government expanded its ambitious target for the Lakhpati Didi Yojana from 2 crore to 3 crore rural women. This initiative, run under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), seeks to economically uplift women by ensuring they earn at least ₹1,00,000 annually per household.
What is a Lakhpati Didi? A "Lakhpati Didi" is a female Self Help Group (SHG) member who earns a sustainable and verifiable income of at least ₹1,00,000 (One Lakh Rupees) per annum.
Key Features of the Lakhpati Didi Yojana
The scheme focuses on financial literacy, enterprise development, and market intervention. The government provides:
- Skill Training: Free training in modern sectors like LED bulb making, plumbing, drone operation (Namo Drone Didi), tailoring, and advanced agriculture.
- Credit Linkage: SHGs are provided easy access to bank loans at minimal interest rates to set up micro-enterprises.
- Market Support: The government helps market the products created by the SHGs exclusively through SARAS Melas and e-commerce portals.
Eligibility for the Scheme
The eligibility conditions are straightforward to encourage mass participation:
- The woman must be a resident of India belonging to a rural area.
- She must be an active member of a formally registered Self Help Group (SHG).
- The household income currently should ideally be below average to warrant intervention.
How to Register for Lakhpati Didi Yojana?
There is no direct standalone online portal for general public registration. Instead, the process works collectively:
- Join an SHG: If you are not in one, contact your village's Anganwadi worker or Gram Employment Assistant to join an SHG.
- Micro-Credit Plan (MCP): The SHG establishes a Micro-Credit Plan, which outlines the business ideas.
- Submission to SRLM: The SHG's plan is submitted to the State Rural Livelihood Mission block office, which then approves the loan and training modules.