Centre Releases Rs. 1,625 Crore Support Funds For Women Entrepreneurs

PM Narendra Modi participated in the ‘Atmanirbhar Nari Shakti se Samvad’ programme via video conferencing where he interacted with women SHG members and community resource persons associated with Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM).

The main aim of DAY-NRLM is to mobilize rural poor households into SHGs in a phased manner and provide them long-term support to improve their incomes and quality of life.

During this event, a compendium of success stories women SHGs' members from across the states, along with a handbook on Universalization of farm livelihoods was released by PM.

Speaking on the occasion, PM Modi appreciated the Women SHGs for their enumerable services during the Covid-Period. He recognized and lauded their unprecedented contribution in making sanitizers & masks and delivering food to the needy and also spreading awareness.

Over 90 percent of districts of India, away from cities' limelight, SHG women were involved in preparation of facemasks, handling community kitchens, providing essential food supplies, sensitizing and raising awareness among people about the health & hygiene.   

On Thursday, PM released capitalization support funds of Rs 1625 crore to over four lakh Self Help Groups (SHGs). Apart from this, he also sanctioned Rs 25 crore as seed money for 7500 SHGs members under PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme of Ministry of Food Processing Industries, along with 4.13 crore as funds to 75 FPOs being encouraged under this mission. He also announced that the loan limit for SHGs have been increased from 10 lakh to 20 lakh.

“To increase the scope of entrepreneurship among women, a big financial help has been released for more participation in the resolve of self-reliant India. Be it food processing enterprises, women farmer producers association, or other self-help groups, more than ₹1,600 crore has been sent to lakhs of such groups of women,” the Prime Minister said.

Furthermore, he said that India has about 420 million Jan-Dhan bank accounts, out of which around 55% are in the name of women. He appealed the SHGs to spread awareness about single-use plastic and work on its alternative.

Union minister for food processing industries Pashupati Kumar Paras, Ministers of State, Rural Development, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Union minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Giriraj Singh, and Faggan Singh Kulaste; MoS, Panchayati Raj, Kapil Moreshwar Patil; and MoS, ministry of food processing industry, Prahlad Singh Patel, were also present on the occasion.