LIC's Bima Sakhi Scheme Boosts Women's Careers in Rural India

By: Women Entrepreneurs Review Team | Wednesday, 2 September 2026

The Central government’s Bima Sakhi scheme is helping create new entrepreneurial and career opportunities for women while expanding life insurance coverage in underserved areas, speakers said at the 70th Insurance Week celebrations held at the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) Kadapa divisional headquarters on 1st August.

Kadapa District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) Project Director G. Rajyalakshmi, the chief guest at the event, said the initiative encourages women who have completed their SSC education and are above 18 years of age to build careers as life insurance agents. She noted that the scheme provides an opportunity for women to became financially independent while contributing to greater insurance awareness in their communities.

In addition to earning commissions, eligible Bima Sakhis receive a monthly stipend of ₹7,000 in the first year, ₹6,000 in the second year and ₹5,000 in the third year. Rajyalakshmi expressed confidence that the initiative would help improve life insurance penetration, particularly among rural communities that have remained outside the reach of insurance services.

Key Highlights:

• The Bima Sakhi scheme is creating career opportunities and promoting financial independence for women
• Kadapa has 3,500 Bima Sakhis, contributing nearly 18% of the division's total business
• The scheme is expanding insurance coverage and awareness, particularly in rural communities

Senior Divisional Manager M.V.K.S. Durgaprasad said all the business parameters have performed well in the Kadapa division in the previous year. In Kadapa district, the highest revenue generating division in LIC in the State, there are 3500 ‘Bima Sakhis’, contributing to almost 18% of the business generated in the entire division, he said.

Previously, Durgaprasad hoisted the flag of LIC at the office premises. The managers B. Venkateswara Reddy (Marketing), Srinivas Sharma (Office Services) and K.V. Vasantha Gowri (Personnel and Industrial Relations) along with union representatives Gayatri, A. Raghunatha Reddy and A. Srinivas were also present.

In December 2024, the Life Insurance Corporation of India's (LIC) initiative to empower women through employment, the Bima Sakhi Yojana (Mahila Career Agent Scheme), was introduced. The program is specially created for women in the age group of 18-70 years who have passed out of class 10th. It offers specialized training that enables the participants to create awareness on financial literacy and insurance before entering into the profession of LIC agent.

The scheme has grown nationwide especially in rural areas. Official LIC data presented in May 2026 showed that approximately 3.45 lakh Mahila Career Agents have been appointed since the inception of the scheme; this has contributed towards substantial insurance business. The po licies sold through Bima Sakhis also mostly originated from the villages with over 61% of the policies sold from rural areas.

The project has the potential to create new career paths for women in the insurance industry as well as provide them with income opportunities. The LIC Apprentice Development Officer recruitment will be open only to Graduate Bima Sakhis after 5 years as LIC agents. The scheme is thus being designed as a measure to promote women's financial autonomy and increase awareness and coverage to women in the rural areas through insurance schemes.