The Assam government is setting its sights on transforming 30 lakh women into successful entrepreneurs through Self Help Groups (SHGs), with an ambitious goal to generate a combined business turnover of Rs 30,000 crore annually over the next decade. This initiative, spearheaded by the state’s Panchayat and Rural Development Department, aims to empower women and contribute significantly to the state’s economic growth.
Ranjeet Kumar Dass, Assam’s Panchayat and Rural Development Minister, announced that around 8.5 lakh women in the state are already earning Rs 1 lakh annually through their SHG-led businesses. The government aims to expand this number to 30 lakh women, turning them into “Lakhpati Didis” (wealthy women). Dass emphasized that women’s empowerment is crucial for Assam’s overall development. “With the support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, we are committed to creating opportunities for women to prosper,” he said.
The roadmap includes providing Rs 10,000 to each SHG member in the coming months and facilitating access to bank loans up to Rs 1 lakh. The government has already distributed 10,900 scooters to women entrepreneurs to aid in business operations, with plans for an additional 5,000 scooters next year.
Significant financial backing has come from the central government, which has allocated Rs 1,577 crore in revolving funds and capital subsidies for women-led SHGs. Additionally, Assam’s state government has launched the Kanaklata Mahila Sabalikaran Yojana, releasing Rs 445 crore to further empower women economically.
The impact of the initiative is already visible. At the recently concluded Asomi Saras Mela, organized by the Assam State Rural Livelihood Mission (ASRLM), women entrepreneurs sold products worth Rs 19.69 crore, a marked increase from last year’s sales of Rs 8 crore. Notably, the Purnima Mahila Self Help Group from Lakhimpur district sold handloom products worth Rs 1.04 crore at the event.
Minister Dass expressed confidence that the initiative will continue to grow, with the potential for women-led businesses in SHGs to contribute Rs 3,000 crore annually in the near future, ultimately reaching Rs 30,000 crore. This growth would play a pivotal role in boosting Assam’s GDP, in line with the central government’s efforts to support rural economies, including raising Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for farmers.