Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday, February 1, announced a new initiative in the Union Budget aimed at strengthening women entrepreneurship at the grassroots level. Presenting the Budget in Parliament, she said community-owned retail outlets will be set up and run by women-led self-help groups.
The initiative focuses on helping women entrepreneurs improve access to markets, promote products made by women, and create sustainable livelihoods within local communities. The government plans to enable self-help groups to manage local retail networks, moving beyond small-scale support.
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Building women-led enterprises
Highlighting a shift in approach, Sitharaman said the government would “build on the success of ‘Lakpati Didi Programme’,” which has already helped millions of women through self-help groups. She explained that the focus is no longer limited to providing small loans or basic income support.
“I propose to help women take the next step from credit-linked livelihoods to being owners of enterprises,” Sitharaman said, underlining the move towards women becoming decision-makers and stakeholders in the supply chain.
The Budget also introduced a new concept called “SHE.” Explaining the plan, the Finance Minister said, “Self Help Entrepreneurs (SHE) will be set up as community-owned retail outlets within the cluster level federations.” These outlets are expected to be professionally managed and positioned as strong platforms for rural and women-made products.
To support this transition, Sitharaman added that women entrepreneurs would be assisted “through enhanced and innovative financing instruments,” indicating support beyond traditional bank loans.
