Gujarat Identifies 5.96 Lakh Lakhpati Didis Under DAY-NRLM

By: Women Entrepreneurs Review Team | Wednesday, 10 June 2026

Gujarat State has made progress in the area of economic empowerment of rural women, with more than 5.96 lakh women getting identified as "Lakhpati Didis" under the rural livelihood project of the Government of India. Launched under the aegis of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), the scheme seeks to enable women involved with Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to earn a yearly household income above ₹1 lakh.

According to figures announced by the State government on June 9, 2026, Gujarat State also has an estimated 10 lakh prospective beneficiaries of this initiative. This development is indicative of the positive influence being exerted by various entrepreneurial and skill-based initiatives among women, besides financial inclusion and market opportunities programmes.

Key Highlights:

• 5.96 lakh women in Gujarat have achieved Lakhpati Didi status
• Nearly 10 lakh women have been identified as potential beneficiaries
• Several SHG women entrepreneurs now earn over ₹10 lakh annually

The State government revealed that more than 5.96 lakh women have been identified as Lakhpati Didis, marking a key milestone in the realm of women's engagement in the rural economy.

The scheme involves women from SHGs generating additional income through entrepreneurial and livelihood activities. Households with yearly income exceeding ₹1 lakh generated through income-generating activities will be declared Lakhpati Didis. Nearly 10 lakh women have been estimated as potential beneficiaries of the initiative.

The key feature of the scheme is the provision of sustainable financial independence for women in rural areas with a well-designed support framework. The beneficiaries get the opportunity for skill training, funds, institutional credit facilities, and access to markets for developing their business.

The implementation of the programme has been enhanced by recruiting 124 master trainers under the Gujarat Livelihood Promotion Company (GLPC). In addition, the GLPC master trainers have trained about 10,000 Community Resource Persons, such as Krishi Sakhis, Pashu Sakhis, and Bank Sakhis, who assist the beneficiaries.

One successful beneficiary of this programme is Bhavnaben Patel, an entrepreneur from the village of Nogama in Navsari district. Since 2014, Bhavnaben has been associated with the Gayatri Sakhi Mandal. Bhavnaben has developed several sources of income through catering, agricultural work, and running a canteen. Presently, she runs a canteen facility at Navsari Collectorate, besides catering operations, together with other SHG members. According to the government data, her annual income from various sources amounts to ₹10.16 lakh. Her income sources are catering, canteen facility,

Additionally, Shilpaben Pandya from Nenpur village, Kheda District, is another success story. She joined Shilpa Sakhi Mandal in 2010 and went on to set up her own successful business of food processing, specializing in the preparation of natural sharbats. With financial and technical assistance from her SHG and training under Rural Self-Employment Training Institutes (R-SETI), Shilpaben has grown her business and earns approximately ₹10 lakh a year.

The success of Lakhpati Didi Initiative is reflective of the changing dynamics of development and rural upliftment in India, where women-led development programs are gaining traction. With the aid of initiatives focusing on skill development, entrepreneurship, financial knowledge, and market linkage, hundreds of thousands of women are becoming financially independent.