The Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), under the Ministry of Rural Development, hosted a comprehensive brainstorming session in New Delhi aimed at enhancing the ease of doing business for Self-Help Group (SHG) members. The consultation was focused on empowering Lakhpati Didis and other rural entrepreneurs by exploring innovative strategies and fostering collaboration.
Shri T. K. Anil Kumar, Additional Secretary, MoRD, inaugurated the session, praising DAY-NRLM’s role in professionalizing poverty alleviation. He advocated for widening the entrepreneurial base to include rural youth and young farmers as part of the mission’s long-term vision.
Ms. Hena Usman, Joint Secretary (Entrepreneurship) at the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, emphasized the scope for deeper synergy between MSDE and DAY-NRLM. She urged for skill-building to make SHG members more media- and marketing-savvy.
Ms. Swati Sharma, Joint Secretary, MoRD, recognized SHG members as both producers and innovators. She highlighted the need to integrate them into global value chains and equip collectives with advanced business capabilities in alignment with the Viksit Bharat@2047 roadmap.
Dr. Molishree, Director, MoRD, provided an overview of DAY-NRLM’s journey, followed by Shri Raman Wadhwa, Deputy Director, who spotlighted key entrepreneurship initiatives. The interactive segment involved insights from India Post, Flipkart, Fab India, DeHaat, ITC, and others.
Major ideas discussed included:
- Creating a unified national brand for SHG products tailored to urban and export markets.
- Introducing SHG-friendly quality assurance protocols.
- Leveraging digital platforms for e-commerce, traceability, and customer relationship management.
- Boosting digital literacy and infrastructure to bridge the rural-urban marketing gap.
- Strengthening private partnerships for long-term market linkages and co-creation.
The session concluded with a commitment from MoRD to act on the shared insights and scale rural entrepreneurship in a professional, inclusive manner. The event marked a significant step toward achieving self-reliance and sustainable growth in India’s rural economy.
Source: PIB
