Budget 2026-27: 20 per cent increase in allocation of Livelihood Mission for women empowerment

The Centre has increased the program component of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) by Rs 2,880 crore in the Union Budget 2026-27.

The Revised Estimates (RE) for 2025-26 had allocated Rs 14,400 crore for this component. In the current budget, this amount has been increased to Rs 17,280 crore, a 20 per cent increase. However, the allocation for 2025-26 was Rs 17,104 crore, which was reduced in RE.

Launched in June 2011, DAY-NRLM aims to organise poor rural women into Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and help them achieve sustainable income growth and a better standard of living, targeting approximately 100 million women. The program provides core financial support to SHGs and their federations for livelihood activities through a Revolving Fund (RF) and a Community Investment Fund (CIF).

The Union Ministry of Rural Development administers the Lakhpati Didi Program under the DAY-NRLM. This program was incorporated into the Mission on August 15, 2023. According to the Centre, there are currently 41.1 million Lakhpati Didis in India, whose annual income consistently remains above Rs 1 lakh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently praised his government for the Lakhpati Didi Program and cited it as an example of women’s empowerment. In August 2024, the PM honoured 1.1 million new Lakhpati Didis in Jalgaon, Maharashtra, and distributed certificates of appreciation. He also mentioned Lakhpati Didis in his 2025 Independence Day speech.

The Union government’s women-centric schemes have become key to its continued power. Lakhpati Didi is also a part of this. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while remembering Lakhpati Didi in her budget speech, said, “Building on the success of the Lakhpati Didi programme, I propose to help women take the next step from debt-based livelihoods to becoming enterprise owners.”

She further said that Self-Help Enterprise (SHE) Marts will be set up as community-owned retail outlets within cluster-level federations through enhanced and innovative financing instruments.