MoRD Pushes Women-Led Rural Enterprise Revolution Through SHE-MART Initiative

The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Government of India, has taken a major step toward strengthening women-led rural enterprises and transforming rural market systems through a two-day National Consultation on SHE-MARTs (Self Help Entrepreneurs–Marketing Avenues for Rural Transformation) held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

Organised under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), the consultation took place on 14–15 May 2026 at the Mayfair Convention Hall and brought together senior policymakers, State Rural Livelihoods Missions (SRLMs), financial institutions, development practitioners, and industry experts to finalise the operational roadmap for the SHE-MART initiative announced in the Union Budget 2026.

The event was hosted by the Odisha Livelihoods Mission (OLM), Mission Shakti Department, Government of Odisha, and facilitated by PRADAN as the National Support Organisation (NSO).

SHE-MARTs Aim to Transform Rural Women’s Enterprises

The SHE-MART initiative is being designed as a nationwide platform to create decentralized, women-led, professionally managed rural enterprise ecosystems that improve market access, branding, aggregation, and income generation opportunities for women’s self-help groups and producer collectives.

The initiative is expected to become a key pillar of the government’s broader mission to economically empower rural women and expand sustainable livelihood opportunities across India.

Officials said the consultation focused on developing practical and scalable operational guidelines that can support phased implementation of SHE-MARTs across states and union territories.

National Consultation Brought Together Key Stakeholders

The consultation witnessed participation from:

• State Mission Directors and CEOs of SRLMs

• Officials from the Ministry of Rural Development

• Representatives from NABARD

• Financial institutions and ecosystem partners

• Development practitioners and sector experts

• Women enterprise and livelihood specialists

Participants deliberated extensively on strategies for strengthening women-led rural enterprises and improving rural market systems.

The consultation focused on several critical themes, including:

• Institutional architecture

• Financing models

• Governance structures

• Monitoring systems

• Technology integration

• Capacity building

• Business processes

• Convergence pathways

• Implementation strategies

The discussions aimed to ensure that the final SHE-MART framework reflects ground realities, state-level experiences, and operational feasibility.

MoRD Emphasises Enterprise-Led Rural Development

The inaugural session featured a keynote address delivered virtually by Shri T. K. Anil Kumar, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development.

In his remarks, he stressed that the future of DAY-NRLM lies in enterprise development and market integration rather than traditional subsidy-driven approaches.

He said SHE-MARTs should evolve into:

• Community-owned retail systems

• Rural aggregation centres

• Women-led business ecosystems

• Sustainable enterprise platforms

rather than functioning as subsidy-dependent institutional outlets.

“The future of DAY-NRLM lies in enterprise development and market integration,” he stated.

He emphasised that women’s collectives must remain at the centre of ownership, management, and governance structures.

States Encouraged to Shape Operational Framework

Ms. Swati Sharma, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, said the consultation was intended to function as a practical working platform where states and union territories could critically review the draft SHE-MART framework.

She encouraged states to identify implementation gaps, operational challenges, and practical alternatives that could strengthen large-scale rollout across India.

Officials stressed that state-level feedback would play a critical role in shaping final operational guidelines for the initiative.

Odisha Showcases Women-Led Enterprise Ecosystem

Dr. Rohini R Bhajibhakare, Joint Secretary, MoRD, also participated in the consultation and highlighted key features of the VB-GRAM-G initiative.

Meanwhile, Dr. Monica Priyadarshini, State Mission Director of the Odisha Livelihoods Mission, showcased Odisha’s experience in building decentralised women-led enterprise systems through Mission Shakti and community institutions.

Odisha has emerged as one of the leading states in promoting women’s self-help groups and grassroots enterprise networks.

Officials noted that lessons from Odisha’s model could help inform the national implementation of SHE-MARTs.

Focus on Moving Beyond Livelihood Promotion

Dr. Molishree, Director of Rural Livelihoods under DAY-NRLM, presented the strategic vision behind the SHE-MART initiative.

She stressed the importance of shifting from basic livelihood promotion to enterprise-driven rural market systems that enable women to participate more actively in economic value chains.

According to her, SHE-MARTs are intended to strengthen:

• Rural entrepreneurship

• Women-led producer collectives

• Market linkages

• Retail and aggregation networks

• Branding and product visibility

The initiative seeks to help women transition from subsistence livelihoods toward commercially sustainable enterprises.

Convergence Opportunities Discussed

Ms. Deeksha Supyaal Bisht, Assistant Commissioner for VB-GRAM-G, highlighted opportunities for convergence between VB-GRAM-G and SHE-MARTs.

Discussions explored how existing schemes and infrastructure could support:

• Women-centric market systems

• Rural infrastructure development

• Demand generation

• Market access

• Community service delivery

Officials said convergence between schemes would be essential for ensuring long-term sustainability and operational efficiency.

Panel Discussion Explores Rural Marketing Strategy

One of the major highlights of the consultation was a national panel discussion titled:

“SHE-MARTs as a Strategic Intervention for Rural Marketing.”

The panel brought together representatives from:

• Government departments

• Financial institutions

• Technology platforms

• Social enterprises

• Development organisations

The discussions focused on identifying scalable models and best practices for establishing SHE-MARTs as viable rural business ecosystems.

Participants examined how technology, logistics, financing, and digital platforms could strengthen rural market access for women entrepreneurs.

Day Two Focused on Leadership and Implementation

The second day of the consultation focused on operational and implementation-related issues, including:

• Human resource structures

• Women’s leadership models

• Technical design frameworks

• Capacity-building architecture

• Governance systems

• Retail management mechanisms

Participants emphasised the need to establish professional retail and management systems while preserving women-led governance and community ownership.

A strong consensus emerged that SHE-MARTs should function as professionally managed, community-owned enterprises rather than temporary subsidy-driven initiatives.

Government Targets 3 Crore Additional “Lakhpati Didis”

The Ministry of Rural Development reiterated its commitment to the government’s broader objective of creating 3 crore additional “Lakhpati Didis” by 2029.

The term refers to women earning at least ₹1 lakh annually through sustainable livelihood and enterprise activities.

Officials said SHE-MARTs are expected to become an important mechanism for:

• Enhancing women’s incomes

• Expanding market opportunities

• Supporting branding and aggregation

• Strengthening producer collectives

• Promoting rural entrepreneurship

The initiative aligns with the government’s wider rural development and women empowerment agenda.

Strong Commitment to Women-Led Rural Transformation

The consultation concluded with a shared commitment from states, union territories, DAY-NRLM, and ecosystem partners to strengthen and finalise operational guidelines for SHE-MARTs.

The Ministry said it would continue supporting State Rural Livelihood Missions in building sustainable rural marketing platforms that empower women entrepreneurs and strengthen local economies.

Officials believe the SHE-MART initiative could play a transformative role in reshaping India’s rural enterprise landscape by placing women-led community institutions at the centre of rural economic growth.