Lakhpati didis: Rural women who are redefining financial independence on Republic Day

Delhi: The Rural Development Ministry's tableau at the Republic Day parade paid tribute to the Lakhpati Didi scheme, which aims to ensure a minimum income of Rs 1 lakh to members of Self Help Groups, at the Kartavya Path, showcasing women's economic empowerment through entrepreneurship. A towering symbolic statue of a Lakhpati Didi holding a bundle of money symbolising her financial self-sufficiency featured at the front of the tableau.

Ministry of Rural Development tableau, themed 'Lakhpati Didi,' showcases the transformative journey of women in rural areas, celebrating their empowerment and the drive towards financial independence
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Scenes of women engaging in different economic activities, such as weaving, handicrafts and agriculture, was displayed, celebrating their entrepreneurship. Girls holding books and women using computers was also depicted, symbolizing their journey toward self-reliance through skill development and adaptation to modern technology.

Motifs related to rural India, such as pottery, local crafts and flora, were part of the tableau, making it visually rooted in the Indian countryside. According to the Rural Development Ministry, over 1.15 crore women SHG members have become 'Lakhpati Didis' with annual household income of over Rs 1 lakh. So far, more than 10 crore rural women have been mobilised into 91.8 lakh SHGs. Around 300 such women from Self-Help Groups (SHG) who have become 'Lakhpati Didis' also attended the parade as special guests.

(Except for the headline, nothing has been changed by AINN in the PTI.)