National Campaign on Entrepreneurship-II Launched for Rural Women

The Ministry of Rural Development launched the second phase of the National Campaign on Entrepreneurship-II on 21 August 2026 under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission. The three-month campaign runs from 21 August to 21 November 2026 and coincides with World Entrepreneurs Day.

Campaign Objective and Coverage

The campaign focuses on rural women entrepreneurship in farm and non-farm sectors. It is linked with the government’s target of creating 6 crore Lakhpati Didis, a term used for women associated with annual household incomes of at least ₹1 lakh through livelihood activities.

Training, Enterprise Formalisation and Cadre Support

The campaign sets a target of training 5 lakh Self-Help Group women in entrepreneurship and livelihood skills. It also aims to formalise 50,000 rural enterprises and orient 50,000 community cadres for enterprise promotion.

The initiative plans to add 2 lakh members to producer groups and enterprises. It also seeks to promote sustainable agro-ecological practices among 20 lakh women.

Digital Market Access and Rural Enterprise Platforms

The campaign aims to onboard 25,000 Self-Help Group members on digital commerce platforms such as the Open Network for Digital Commerce and the Government e-Marketplace. These platforms are used for digital trade, procurement, and wider market access for small producers and enterprises.

Rohit Kansal, Secretary of the Department of Rural Development, launched the campaign and released the first edition of Sankalp Shakti, a monthly technical bulletin on rural enterprise promotion. The bulletin is linked with implementation support for Lakhpati Didis and rural livelihood systems.

Important Facts for Exams

• Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission is a flagship rural livelihood programme of the Government of India.
• Self-Help Groups are small community-based savings and credit collectives, usually formed by women in rural areas.
• Open Network for Digital Commerce is an open digital commerce network for buyers and sellers in India.
• Government e-Marketplace is an online procurement platform for government buyers and sellers.

Institutional Recognition of Grassroots Cadres

Community Resource Persons for Enterprise Promotion and Business Development Service Providers will be recognised as Udyam Sakhis. The term Udyam Sakhi is used for women-linked enterprise support roles in rural livelihood systems.