In a major step toward accelerating women-led entrepreneurship and rural economic transformation, the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) and the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) have signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide skill training and entrepreneurial support to members of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).

The agreement aims to equip SHG members with sector-specific training, formal certifications, and pathways to market-linked livelihood opportunities. Training will be delivered through national institutions such as Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS), Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs), the National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD), and National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs). These efforts will be integrated into district skill development plans, leveraging existing skilling infrastructure and digital certification platforms such as the Skill India Digital Hub.

Announcing the initiative at Krishi Bhawan in New Delhi, Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan called it a “transformative leap” toward achieving Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Lakhpati Didi Mission, which envisions three crore rural women earning a minimum of Rs 1 lakh annually. Chouhan also hinted at the next big milestone on the horizon—“Millionaire Didis”—as a symbol of rural women’s economic empowerment.

The MoU is expected to unlock greater synergy between MoRD’s grassroots mobilization network and MSDE’s institutional training ecosystem. With nearly 10 crore women already organized into 91 lakh SHGs, the initiative seeks to translate this social capital into scalable, sustainable economic opportunities. A Joint Review Committee will monitor quarterly progress and outcomes over the course of the partnership.

Minister of State for Rural Development Dr Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani described the collaboration as a step toward building an inclusive and prosperous Viksit Bharat, while Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Jayant Chaudhary emphasized its role in aligning national skilling priorities with rural aspirations. The ministries also unveiled a revamped website and a new rural development portal to improve public access to programs and updates.

This collaboration underscores the government’s intent to make rural women the architects of India’s future growth story—by shifting them from the margins of subsistence to the mainstream of enterprise.