Govt Plans to Roll Out Women-Oriented Distribution Channel for NPS

At the NPS Diwas 2025 celebrations in New Delhi, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman urged the pension industry to empower women by training them as ‘Pension Sakhis’ , a network of women agents who will help expand pension awareness and participation across India. 

The initiative will follow the model of LIC’s ‘Bima Sakhi Yojana’, which successfully brought over 2 lakh women into the insurance distribution system within a year.

Empowering Women Through Pension Sakhi Yojana

The proposed Pension Sakhi Yojana will create a women-centric distribution network to expand pension literacy and enrolment under the National Pension System (NPS). Similar to the Bima Sakhi scheme, women aged between 18 and 70 years with at least a matriculation qualification will be eligible to serve as Pension Sakhis and will be incentivised for bringing in new NPS subscribers.

As per the news report, Sitharaman said, “As India marches towards the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, financial independence and dignity must remain at the core of our growth story. Pension planning is not a choice, but a necessity for every citizen to secure their old age. The National Pension System must become a Jan Andolan, encouraging people from all walks of life to embrace retirement planning early.”

PFRDA Launches Multiple Schemes Framework for Broader Coverage

Marking NPS Diwas 2025, the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) launched the Multiple Schemes Framework (MSF), enabling pension funds to introduce customised schemes for professionals, entrepreneurs, corporate employees, women, and platform workers.

As part of its inclusion drive, PFRDA distributed Permanent Retirement Account Numbers (PRANs) to gig workers in collaboration with Zomato, HDFC Pension Fund, and KCRA. Over 60,000 Zomato workers have already consented to open NPS accounts.

Partnerships to Expand Pension Awareness Nationwide

To deepen pension outreach, PFRDA signed an MoU with NABARD to spread pension awareness among 10 crore farmers through 45,000 Farmer-Producer Organisations (FPOs). The regulator also released Sanchayita, a compendium of pension sector initiatives, and launched an action plan to promote pension enrolment across MSME clusters in 12 states.

Read More: Union Cabinet Approves ₹11,440 Crore Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses (2025–31)!

Conclusion

The NPS Diwas 2025 initiatives mark a pivotal step toward India’s goal of a “fully pensioned society” under the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. By empowering women as Pension Sakhis, introducing flexible pension frameworks, and partnering with institutions like NABARD, the government is building a sustainable and inclusive retirement ecosystem for all citizens.

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