Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana: Credit Disbursement to Women SHGs Crosses ₹11 Lakh Crore Milestone

In a major achievement for rural empowerment, over ₹11 lakh crore has been disbursed as credit to women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) under the Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM). This marks a historic economic milestone in supporting women's entrepreneurship across rural India.

DAY-NRLM Enables Transformational Credit Access for Women SHGs

The ₹11 lakh crore credit disbursal highlights the Mission's focus on eradicating poverty by forming strong grassroots women's institutions. These SHGs connect women to formal banking systems, enabling them to initiate or grow income-generating activities. The model promotes collateral-free loans and offers benefits like interest subvention, giving women financial autonomy and confidence. Notably, this initiative has seen an impressive repayment rate of over 98%, underlining the programme’s effectiveness and the commitment of its beneficiaries.

Massive Role of Bank Partners and Bank Sakhis

Morale and operational support from the banking sector has been pivotal in making access to credit seamless for SHG members. Banks offered simplified lending processes and included loans under the priority sector guidelines. Furthermore, trained women known as Bank Sakhis bridged last-mile connectivity by aiding other women in day-to-day banking, documentation, Aadhaar seeding, and loan applications while promoting financial literacy through insurance and pension awareness.

Read More: Atal Pension Yojana Adds 3.9 Million New Members in FY26, Reaching 80 Million Total!

Lakhpati Didi Scheme and Inclusive Growth

Along with DAY-NRLM, the Lakhpati Didi scheme advances the vision of making every SHG member economically self-sufficient. This coordinated approach facilitates the comprehensive financial and social empowerment of women. It is igniting change across 700+ districts, where millions of women are becoming small-scale entrepreneurs in agriculture, retail, services, and more.

Conclusion

Crossing the ₹11 lakh crore credit disbursement milestone illustrates India’s progressive stride towards rural women’s financial inclusion. With strong banking partnerships, an effective SHG model, and a resilient support system, this mission continues to shape a self-reliant and inclusive rural economy.

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