Gujarat records over 5.96 lakh 'Lakhpati Didis' under women-led livelihood push
Gandhinagar, June 9
On the nod of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, the Gujarat Livelihood Promotion Company has identified 10 lakh potential Lakhpati Didis, of whom 5.96 lakh have already been recognised, reflecting the growing strength of women-led development across the state.
According to the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), the state Government has appointed 124 Master Trainers at district and taluka levels, trained by National Resource Persons, who have further trained over 10,000 Community Resource Persons (CRPs), including Krishi Sakhis, Pashu Sakhis and Bank Sakhis, strengthening on-ground execution.
Over the past 12 years, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, women have become an integral part of India's development journey, shaping the vision of a Viksit Bharat.
The PM has advanced the vision of women-led development through initiatives such as Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Ujjwala Yojana, PM Mudra Yojana, PM Awas Yojana and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign.
These programmes have empowered Nari Shakti through entrepreneurship, finance and improved livelihoods.
Among these initiatives, the Lakhpati Didi Scheme has emerged as a key step in economically empowering rural women, encouraging them to earn a sustainable income, thus promoting financial independence and self-reliance.
The 'Lakhpati Didi' initiative is a women-led rural livelihood programme under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) of the Government of India. It aims to help women associated with Self-Help Groups (SHGs) earn a sustainable annual household income by providing training, financial support, credit, and market access. Under this, women in self-help groups whose families have an annual income of more than Rs 1 lakh are identified as Lakhpati Didi.
The Ministry of Rural Development implements the initiative through SHGs across rural India. Gujarat has emerged as one of the active states under the DAY-NRLM framework.
From Agriculture and Animal Husbandry to Canteen and Catering Business: Bhavnaben's Journey as a Lakhpati Didi
Bhavnaben Patel of Nogama village in Chikhli taluka has emerged as a successful Lakhpati Didi, earning an annual income of Rs 10.16 lakh through multiple livelihood activities.
Associated with the Gayatri Sakhi Mandal since 2014, she learned about various government schemes and livelihood opportunities through meetings, workshops, and awareness programmes conducted under the National Rural Livelihood Mission. Inspired by the Mission Mangalam initiative and supported by her Self-Help Group, she ventured into canteen and catering services.
Today, Bhavnaben runs a canteen at the Collector Office in Navsari and, along with fellow Sakhi Mandal members, provides catering services. Her annual income includes ₹2 lakh from the canteen business, Rs 5 lakh from catering services, Rs 1 lakh from agriculture, and Rs 2.16 lakh from other sources, taking her total annual earnings to ₹10.16 lakh.
She has also benefited from other government schemes, including a loan from the District Industries Centre for purchasing a laptop and an Ayushman Card through the Primary Health Centre.
Joining Sakhi Mandal (Self Help Group) has brought financial stability to Bhavnaben, improved her standard of living, and increased her self-confidence. As a Lakhpati Didi, she now inspires other women toward self-reliance and economic empowerment.
As per the release, Shilpaben Pandya of Nenpur village in Mahemdavad taluka, Kheda district, has emerged as a successful Lakhpati Didi through her food processing enterprise, earning an annual income of ₹10 lakh. Associated with the Shilpa Sakhi Mandal since March 2010, she currently serves as its President within the Nenpur Village Organisation (VO) and the Cluster Level Federation (CLF).
After her Self-Help Group received a revolving fund, Shilpaben started producing natural sharbats without added colours in flavours such as Panchamrut, Lemon, Strawberry and Guava. She further expanded her venture after receiving food processing training from Rural Self-Employment Training Institutes (R-SETI).
As per the release, today, her enterprise not only provides financial stability for her family but also creates livelihood opportunities for other women, contributing to women-led economic empowerment in her community.
These are only a few examples from Gujarat's Lakhpati Didi movement. Across the state, thousands of Lakhpati Didis are steadily building higher incomes and playing a vital role in strengthening the rural economy. Lakhpati Didi Yojana, a visionary initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has emerged as a powerful force of rural transformation, encouraging women to contribute to the vision of Atmanirbhar and Viksit Bharat.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Inspiring stories of Bhavnaben and Shilpaben! Running a canteen and catering service while earning ₹10 lakh annually is no joke. It proves that with proper training and support, rural women can become entrepreneurs. The key is to keep providing market access and credit. Hope other states follow Gujarat's model. 👏
Interesting to see how schemes like this are empowering women at the grassroots level. The Lakhpati Didi initiative seems practical because it focuses on actual income generation through SHGs. But long-term sustainability will depend on how well these women can access larger markets and formal credit. Good start though.
Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, now Lakhpati Didi - this holistic approach is working. When women earn, the whole family benefits. But there is one concern: many of these women are doing multiple jobs (canteen, catering, agriculture). Need to check if they are getting overburdened. Otherwise, it's a fantastic initiative. 🚀
Great to see such practical examples from Gujarat. Shilpaben's natural sharbat business is brilliant - she's using local resources and creating jobs for other women. The 10,000 Community Resource Persons trained is a huge network. But I hope the scheme also addresses issues like digital literacy and online marketing for these women. Small changes can make big differences. ✊
The numbers look impressive - 5.96 lakh out of 10 lakh potential is a good conversion rate. But I'd like to
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