Overview

• Nearly 1.5 crore rural women across India have reached ‘Lakhpati Didi’ status by mid-July after earning at least Rs 1 lakh annually through Self-Help Groups.
• Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan visited the ICAR Directorate of Groundnut Research in Junagadh to review research activities and meet SHG members.
• The government has set a clear target of elevating the number of women earning Rs 1 lakh or more per year from 1.5 crore to 2 crore by August 15.
• Institutional support includes ICAR-led training programmes, bank partnerships and success story compilations aimed at scaling up women’s entrepreneurship.
• Plans are underway to broaden rural women’s participation into industrial sectors as part of the broader ‘Viksit Bharat’ and ‘Vocal for Local’ initiatives.