During the Interim Budget 2024, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the ‘Lakhpati Didi’ scheme with a vision to empower three crore women, up from the previous target of two crore. Emphasizing the transformative role of self-help groups (SHGs), which boast 83 lakh members and impact nine crore women, Sitharaman highlighted the scheme’s potential to drive socio-economic change in rural India through empowerment and self-reliance.
Anticipation is high for the release of Lakhpati Didi 2.0 in Budget 2024, with expectations that the updated program will create substantial improvements in women’s economic empowerment. Ridhima Kansal, director of Rosemoore, pointed out that the new version could focus on sustainable skill development and better market linkages. She suggested increasing allocations for digital literacy programs to enable rural women to tap into e-commerce opportunities, as well as improving access to credit and microfinance. Integrating the scheme with initiatives like the National Rural Livelihood Mission could ensure comprehensive economic participation for women.
Mamta Shekhawat, founder of Gradding.com, stressed that the revised approach could significantly enhance women’s livelihood programs by supporting women-led cooperatives, boosting market influence, and providing social security benefits for long-term financial stability. Nidhi Aggarwal, founder of SpaceMantra, expressed optimism that Lakhpati Didi 2.0 could inspire gender-inclusive economic policies globally, as per LiveMint.
Pooja Choudhary, founder of Lavanya The Label, envisioned ‘Destination Lakhpati Didi’ in Budget 2024 as a pivotal move for rural women’s financial inclusion and a global role model for gender-inclusive economic development programs.
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Budget 2024 Date and Time
With the new BJP-led NDA government in place, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present her seventh consecutive Union Budget later this month, making history as the first finance minister to do so. Reports suggest that the Budget will be presented on July 24 at 11 a.m., though this timing has not been officially confirmed.