On this 17th September, as PM Narendra Modi turns 75, India finds itself at a crossroads of promise and possibility. The nation, youthful and hopeful, looks to its future, one where every daughter, every sister, every woman has wings. In today’s India, empowerment of women is not an afterthought; it is foundational. It is the light guiding our path toward a brighter, more equitable India.
Through bold schemes, initiatives rooted in the grassroots, and a steady political will, the Modi era has sought to shift not just policies, but mindsets. On his birthday this year, several programmes were launched or spotlighted that re-emphasize this commitment, particularly the newly inaugurated Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan. Let’s explore how this, along with other initiatives like Lakhpati Didi, NaMo Drone Didi, PM Vishwakarma Yojana, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, reflects an India where women are not just beneficiaries, but co-pilots of progress.
Lakhpati Didi
The Lakhpati Didi initiative aims to ensure that members of SHGs (Self-Help Groups), particularly rural women, achieve an annual household income of ₹1,00,000 or more. It ties together livelihood diversification, convergence among ministries, private sector participation, and market access. For many women, this is a bridge from subsistence to entrepreneurship and dignity.
NaMo Drone Didi
Under this scheme, drone technology is being made accessible to women SHGs for agricultural services as part of NaMo Drone Didi. The government provides a very generous subsidy (approx 80% of the drone cost up to ₹8 lakh). NaMo Didi drone pilots are trained as the goal is not just income, but to plug women into modern agri-tech, enabling them to lead on innovation in their own communities.
PM Vishwakarma Yojana
The Pradhan Mantri Vishwakarma Kaushal Samman Yojana (often called PM Vishwakarma) is tailored to artisans and traditional craftspeople across many trades (tailoring, carpentry, etc.). Women's participation is high, with over 68% of trainees under the scheme being women. The scheme gives training, a toolkit/incentive, easier credit, ID/recognition, and marketing support. Thus, it uplifts both skill and status.
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao
Since 2015, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao has been a flagship campaign to tackle the declining sex ratio, promote girls' education, and combat gender bias. Alongside it, maternity benefit schemes (like Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana) ensure that pregnancy, childbirth, and early motherhood do not trap women in hardship but are supported through financial transfers and better health services. These moves show a multipronged approach: financial, technological, social, and educational, as women can rise on many fronts.
Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan
On his 75th birthday, PM Modi launched the Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan campaign. The timing coincides with the Nutrition Month (Poshan Maah), and it runs from 17 September to 2 October 2025. Its aim: to promote women's health (nutrition, preventive healthcare screenings for anemia, cancers, non-communicable diseases, tuberculosis, sickle cell disease), maternal & child healthcare, hygiene, health education, plus outreach through mobile camps and health kiosks.
Today’s inauguration of Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan reinforces that health and nutrition cannot lag behind income and skills. If a woman is malnourished, lacks preventive healthcare, or is burdened by anemia or an untreated disease, all other gains are at risk.
Empowerment is more than numbers. When a woman in a rural village becomes a Lakhpati Didi, she redefines what is possible for her children. When SHGs are trained to fly drones, farmers see women as agents of modernity, not just helpers. When artisans are recognized under PM Vishwakarma, their craft and dignity get a public platform.
As Narendra Modi serves the nation for the third time as the Prime Minister, he looks forward to transforming the lives under his vision, especially of women who are rising out of constraints. Today’s Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan adds a new leaf; the tapestry of Lakhpati Didi, Drone Didi, PM Vishwakarma, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, and others, shows an India striving for gender justice, not just growth.
