Govt outlines roadmap for women-led rural marketing system through SHE-MARTs initiative
Bhubaneswar, May 18
The Ministry of Rural Development on May 14-15, organised a two-day national consultation in Bhubaneswar to develop an operational roadmap for SHE-MARTs, a women-led rural marketing ecosystem aimed at strengthening enterprise development and market access under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission.
The consultation brought together State Mission Directors, senior officials from State Rural Livelihoods Missions (SRLMs), NABARD representatives, financial institutions, sector experts and development practitioners to deliberate on implementation frameworks, financing models, governance structures and convergence mechanisms for the initiative.
Addressing the inaugural session virtually, T. K. Anil Kumar, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, said, "The future of DAY-NRLM lies in enterprise development and market integration. He underlined that SHE-MARTs should emerge as community-owned retail and aggregation systems led by women's collectives rather than subsidy-driven institutional models."
Swati Sharma, Joint Secretary, MoRD, said, "This national consultation is intended to function as a working platform where States/UTs could critically examine the draft framework, identify implementation gaps, and propose practical alternatives for large-scale rollout."
Officials also highlighted convergence opportunities, institutional architecture, and implementation strategies for strengthening women-led rural enterprises and market systems.
Across discussions, participants emphasised that SHE-MARTs should function as decentralized, professionally managed yet women-led and community-owned enterprise ecosystems, rather than subsidy-dependent retail structures.
The ministry reiterated its commitment to support the creation of 3 crore additional Lakhpati Didis by 2029, with SHE-MARTs envisioned as a key platform to enhance income generation, branding and market access for women-led producer collectives across the country.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Finally, a policy that focuses on market access instead of just subsidies! 🙌 My mother was a Lakhpati Didi and she struggled to get fair prices for her produce. This SHE-MART system could change that. Just hope they don't forget the smaller states—often Karnataka and Maharashtra get all the attention while Northeast and central India are left behind.
Good concept, but I'm skeptical. Many 'women-led' initiatives in India end up being controlled by male family members or local sarpanches. Unless there's proper training in financial management and digital literacy, these SHE-MARTs won't be truly women-led. Also, 3 crore Lakhpati Didis by 2029 is an ambitious target—hope the ground-level infrastructure is ready.
As someone who worked with rural marketing in Odisha, this is a very smart move. The 'community-owned retail and aggregation systems' approach is exactly what's needed—subsidy-driven models never create sustainable businesses. Hope they partner with local FPOs and not just big corporations. India's rural women are the backbone of our economy 🌾
A wonderful vision! But we need to ensure these SHE-MARTs aren't just another bureaucratic maze. Women's collectives need simple, transparent processes. And why always focus on 'Lakhpati'—not every rural woman needs to earn a lakh, some just want fair wages and dignity. Let's celebrate steady progress too, not just big numbers.
Interesting approach. Coming from
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.