Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during her presentation of the Union Budget 2026-27 on Friday announced that the government aims to empower women by transitioning them from credit-supported livelihoods to full ownership of their own enterprises. 

Highlighting the achievements of the Lakhpati Didi programme, she emphasised this as the next step in promoting sustainable women-led entrepreneurship, including initiatives like community-owned SHE-Marts to support rural self-help groups.

Sitharaman also announced that Self-Help Entrepreneur “(SHE) Marts” will be set up as community-owned retail outlets within the cluster level federations through enhanced and innovative financing instruments.

What is She Marts scheme

The She MARTS programme is designed to support women entrepreneurs in accessing larger markets, strengthening their brands, and developing reliable income streams.

It also aims to empower local institutions, including self-help groups. By establishing these outlets at the cluster level, the government intends to provide rural products with greater visibility and place them alongside established brands. 

Sitharaman added that conventional bank loans alone may be insufficient for such an initiative, noting that entrepreneurs would be supported through improved and innovative financing mechanisms.

What is Lakhpati Didi program

The Lakhpati Didi program is a flagship initiative of the Government of India under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM). It empowers rural women by enabling them to become members of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and achieve a sustainable annual household income of over ₹1 lakh (averaging ₹10,000+ monthly) through diversified livelihoods, skill training, access to credit, market linkages, and convergence with government schemes. 

A “Lakhpati Didi” inspires her community with financial independence and sustainable practices. The government targets enabling 3 crore such women, with over 1 crore already achieved, promoting women’s entrepreneurship and poverty alleviation in rural India.