Mahila Nidhi: Rajasthan Government Introduces Loan Scheme for Female Entrepreneurs

By: WE Staff | Tuesday, 30 August 2022

The "Mahila Nidhi" programme was created by the Rajasthani government for the state's female self-help organisations and businesswomen. The programme will make it possible for women to obtain a loan of up to Rs 40,000 within 48 hours. After Telangana, Rajasthan is the second state in the nation to introduce such a programme. The government and Amazon have also agreed to cooperate in the online sale of goods created by female entrepreneurs.

"Women will now get easy loans for everyday needs, business expansion and entrepreneurship. It will strengthen women's self-help groups with easy loans, increase the income of poor and the marginalised and aid in the social and economic progress of women through skill development," said CM Ashok Gehlot on the launching of the scheme recently.

Under this programme, women's SHGs will receive loans up to Rs 40,000 within 48 hours and loans over Rs 40,000 within 15 days.

Currently, 30 lakh families are connected to the programme through 2.70 lakh SHGs that have been established in 33 districts of the state. There are plans to construct roughly 50,000 SHGs in the fiscal year 2022–2023, connecting about 6 lakh families. Depending on their needs, 36 lakh families in the state would gradually receive benefits under Rajasthan Mahila Nidhi.

Gehlot distributed loans from Rajasthan Mahila Nidhi totaling Rs. 1.42 crore to 386 SHG members across 6 districts.

The government and Amazon have also agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding for the online sale of goods. This would make products created or produced by more than 15,000 female entrepreneurs and self-help organisations available to millions of Amazon shoppers nationwide through listing on the online marketplace.