Building on the DAY-NRLM Vision
DAY-NRLM has long aimed to bring transformational change in the income levels of rural women by promoting diversified and sustainable livelihoods. While agriculture remains central to rural economies, the mission has increasingly focused on non-farm enterprises as a critical pathway to stable and resilient incomes.
Over the years, initiatives such as the Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP) have demonstrated that with the right training, mentoring, and access to credit, rural enterprises can thrive. These programmes have relied heavily on trained community cadres who work at the grassroots level to identify enterprise opportunities, support start-ups, and provide continuous handholding.
Scaling Up for the Lakhpati Didi Goal
The government has committed to enabling at least three crore “Lakhpati Didis” — women SHG members earning ₹1 lakh or more annually. Achieving this ambitious target requires a massive scale-up of trained community resource persons capable of promoting and nurturing rural enterprises.
The National Campaign on Entrepreneurship is designed precisely to meet this requirement. Its core objective is to train and build the capacity of 50,000 community resource persons (CRPs) in enterprise promotion, while also imparting entrepreneurship development programme (EDP) training to nearly 50 lakh SHG members under DAY-NRLM.
High-Level Participation and Institutional Support
The launch event witnessed participation from key national institutions and stakeholders, reflecting the collaborative nature of the campaign. Senior officials from the Ministry of Rural Development, including the Additional Secretary (Rural Development), were joined by the Advisor (RD & PR) from NITI Aayog.
Representatives from NABARD, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, IFMR LEAD at KREA University, the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), and the IIM Calcutta Innovation Park also took part. Senior management teams and CEOs from State Rural Livelihood Missions (SRLMs) across states participated, underlining the pan-India scope of the initiative.
Strengthening Rural Enterprise Ecosystems
The campaign is expected to deepen enterprise development across India’s rural landscape by creating a robust support system at the community level. Trained CRPs will act as catalysts, guiding SHG members through enterprise identification, business planning, market linkage, and access to finance.
By equipping millions of women with entrepreneurial skills, the initiative seeks to unlock local economic potential, reduce dependency on agriculture alone, and create sustainable non-farm income opportunities within villages.
Linkages with Formal Finance and Markets
An important dimension of the National Campaign on Entrepreneurship is its emphasis on connecting grassroots enterprises with formal financial institutions. Strengthened enterprise capacities will enable better access to bank credit, enterprise loans, and institutional finance.
This linkage is expected to not only improve business viability but also integrate rural enterprises into broader value chains, enhancing their resilience and growth prospects.
Towards a Self-Reliant Rural Economy
The National Campaign on Entrepreneurship represents a strategic step towards building a resilient, inclusive, and self-reliant rural economy. By combining large-scale capacity building with institutional partnerships, the initiative aims to catalyse millions of rural entrepreneurs and create long-term economic impact.
As implementation gathers momentum across states, the campaign is poised to play a crucial role in advancing the goals of DAY-NRLM and empowering rural women as drivers of India’s growth story.
