New Delhi: Expanding on the Lakhpati Didi scheme, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in her Budget speech a new platform for women entrepreneurs called SHE-Mart—‘self-help entrepreneur’ Mart.
“I propose to help women take the next step from credit-led livelihoods to being owners of enterprises,” Sitharaman said.
The SHE-Marts programme is part of the Union government’s larger push to increase farmer incomes by supporting both productivity and entrepreneurship. The Budget also proposed initiatives for increasing the fisheries value chain, modernising animal husbandry practices, building AI-based agricultural tools, and focused support for high-value crops such as cashew, cocoa, and coconuts.
The ministries’ Budget allocations reflect this focus on agriculture and rural welfare.
The Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission in the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD)—under which the Lakhpati Didi scheme operates—saw an increase of Rs 200 crore in its Budget allocation this year. The allocation of developmental grants-in-aid to state governments under the MRD also increased by 54 per cent—from Rs 83,000 crore in 2025-26 to Rs 1.28 lakh crore.
The Krishonnati Yojana under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare was allocated Rs 11,200 crore, a 40 per cent increase from Rs 8,000 crore in 2025-26. The scheme seeks to increase farmers’ incomes.
Rs 150 crore has been assigned for Bharat VISTAAR (Virtually Integrated System to Access Agricultural Resources). It will be a multilingual tool that integrates AgriStack and other agricultural resources on one portal to offer easy access and customised support for farmers.
“Bharat Vistaar and the multilingual AI-enabled agri stack can make digital public infrastructure work for farmers at scale, turning data into higher incomes, lower risk, and greater climate resilience,” said Arunabha Ghosh, CEO, Council on Energy, Environment and Water, in a media statement.
Rs 350 crore was assigned for high-value agriculture in coastal areas and the Northeast. These crops include cashew, cocoa, coconut, walnuts, almonds, sandalwood, and pine nuts.
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SHE-Marts and Lakhpati Didi
The SHE-Marts scheme is a direct complement to the Lakhpati Didi scheme. The latter was announced in 2023 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Republic Day in a bid to enable women from disadvantaged backgrounds to earn up to Rs 1 lakh annually. It was enacted through women’s self-help groups in rural areas in different states. As of July 2025, there were more than 1.48 crore Lakhpati Didis in the country.
However, the scheme became a poll issue in recent years. Congress MLAs in Rajasthan questioned the structure and effectiveness of the policy, calling the government’s data on Lakhpati Didi ‘misleading’.
But the Union Government’s new SHE-Marts scheme was announced keeping in mind the “success of the Lakhpati didi scheme”. It has also been hailed by industry and experts as a win for inclusivity.
“Initiatives such as SHE Marts and hostels for girls place women at the core of the growth story,” said Vaishali Nigam Sinha, Co-Founder and Chairperson of Sustainability, ReNew, in a press statement. “This is not just about empowerment, it is a deliberate step towards building a more resilient and inclusive Bharat.”
The overall Budget for the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare saw a marginal increase of 2.57 per cent, but its major components remained similar in allocation to last year.
Some components, such as the National Mission on Natural Farming, the Krishonnati Yojana, and even the Agriculture Census, saw an increase in Budget allocation this year. But the allocation for several programmes, including the PM-KISAN and Pradhan Mantri Kisan Man Dhan Yojana, didn’t change. Other developmental projects on crop husbandry, soil and water conservation, and agricultural financial institutions also received similar or higher allocations.
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)