Prime Minister Narendra Modi observed International Women’s Day at Gujarat’s Navsari on Saturday by interacting with ‘Lakhpati Didis’.
During the event, PM Modi spoke with 10 selected Lakhpati Didis and presented five of them with certificates. He recognised and praised the ‘Lakhpati Didis’ for their contributions and for inspiring thousands of women around the country via their work.
During the interaction, the Lakhpati Didis shared their tales with the Prime Minister, and PM Modi thanked the ladies for empowering other women, both socially and monetarily.
The Prime Minister is also slated to attend the ‘Lakhpati Didi Sammelan’ in Vansi-Borsi, where he would distribute over Rs 450 crore in financial aid to over 2.5 lakh women from 25,000 Self-Help Groups (SHGs) across the state.
A video demonstrating the success of Gujarat’s Lakhpati Didi Scheme will be shown, as well as the inauguration of two key state-specific initiatives targeted at improving women’s financial empowerment.
The ‘Lakhpati Didi Yojana,’ launched by the Prime Minister on August 15, 2023, aims to empower women entrepreneurs by recognising those who earn Rs 10,000 or more per month and have an annual income of at least Rs 1 lakh from activities such as agriculture, animal husbandry, and small businesses.
About 1.5 lakh women in Gujarat have already reached this milestone.
The ‘Lakhpati Didi Sammelan’ would bring together almost one lakh women from Navsari, Valsad, and Dang districts, the majority of whom are members of SHGs that have achieved Lakhpati Didi status or aim to do so.
Following the ceremony, PM Modi will have a public gathering in which he will unveil two state-level schemes, G-SAFAL and G-MAITRI, aimed at empowering women from marginalised communities and fostering rural entrepreneurship.
The G-SAFAL (Gujarat Scheme for Better Livelihoods for Antyodaya Families) program, set to launch on March 8, aims to improve the financial independence of women from Antyodaya families.
Over the next five years, this initiative is estimated to benefit 50,000 Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) cardholder families in two aspirational districts and 13 aspirational talukas in Gujarat. Women from SHGs within Antyodaya families will receive financial help and entrepreneurial training through the scheme.
Each participating lady will receive Rs 1 lakh in financial aid and vocational training, with a total assistance pool of Rs 500 crore set aside to benefit 50,000 women. To ensure successful implementation, field coaches will be deployed, with one mentor leading 50 to 60 women through weekly coaching and capacity-building workshops.
The G-MAITRI (Gujarat Mentorship and Acceleration of Individuals for Transforming Rural Income) plan will also be implemented in an effort to encourage rural businesses and promote social entrepreneurship.
The project aims to help rural entrepreneurs and boost Gujarat’s startup ecosystem by offering resources and money. The Gujarat Social Enterprise Fund (G-SEF) has set aside Rs 50 crore over the next five years to support entrepreneurs focused on improving rural lifestyles.
This project will provide livelihood chances for over 10 lakh rural women and youth.
The G-MAITRI scheme aims to help over 150 entrepreneurs over the next five years through seed and scale-up programs.
Grants ranging from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 30 lakh will be awarded to entrepreneurs, with seed-stage startups receiving Rs 20 lakh and scale-stage startups eligible for up to Rs 30 lakh.
This project will not only boost rural economic growth, but it will also encourage prospective entrepreneurs to be innovative and self-sufficient.
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