The MoU signing ceremony was attended by Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister for Rural Development and Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, and Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Union Minister for Communications and Development of the North Eastern Region. Also present were Union Ministers of State Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, Shri Ram Nath Thakur, and Shri Bhagirath Choudhary. Shri Kamlesh Paswan joined virtually, alongside senior officials from both ministries.
Shri Chouhan highlighted the government’s “whole-of-government” approach to inclusive development, emphasizing that rural growth extends beyond infrastructure to creating livelihoods, dignity, and self-reliance for grassroots communities. Shri Scindia underscored the pivotal role of India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) in delivering last-mile financial services, equipping field operatives with technology, and offering comprehensive training to ensure efficient service delivery to citizens’ doorsteps.
Key Components of the MoU
The MoU brings together MoRD’s Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) and the expansive India Post network, including over 1.5 lakh rural post offices, IPPB, and Dak Sevaks. This convergence is set to provide integrated financial and logistics services for SHGs, women entrepreneurs, rural enterprises, and MSMEs.
Under the agreement, DAY-NRLM will promote adoption of savings, deposits, insurance, and pension products among SHG households and nurture SHG women as Business Correspondents (BC Sakhis), providing training, certification, and deployment support. India Post will enable end-to-end support through onboarding, technology-enabled monitoring dashboards, and customised insurance solutions, thereby enhancing last-mile financial access in rural areas.
Empowering Women Entrepreneurs and Rural Enterprises
The MoU will create new market opportunities for women-led SHG enterprises by integrating them with India Post’s logistics ecosystem. DAY-NRLM will identify SHG and federation-level enterprises with logistics potential and provide capacity-building support in packaging, documentation, and export readiness. India Post will offer logistics, packaging, and export facilitation services, including through Dak Niryat Kendras, along with promotion of SHG products through its extensive postal network.
These coordinated efforts are expected to significantly boost financial inclusion, expand market access, and create sustainable livelihoods for rural communities, reinforcing India’s vision of a developed and self-reliant rural economy.