National Campaign on Entrepreneurship-II Launched to Accelerate Rural Women Entrepreneurship
Category: Current Affairs | Government Schemes | Women Empowerment | Rural Development
Relevant for: UPSC Prelims | GS Paper II | GS Paper III | State PCS | Essay
Launch Date: 21 August 2026
Why in News?
The Ministry of Rural Development launched the National Campaign on Entrepreneurship-II on 21 August 2026 under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
The three-month campaign will run from:
21 August 2026 → 21 November 2026
It seeks to accelerate women-led rural entrepreneurship by helping women associated with Self-Help Groups move beyond livelihood activities toward formal, sustainable and market-linked enterprises.
The campaign was launched on World Entrepreneurs Day, observed on 21 August.
It will support both:
Farm Enterprises + Non-Farm Enterprises
and contribute to the national vision of creating 6 crore Lakhpati Didis.
National Campaign on Entrepreneurship-II: Key Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Campaign | National Campaign on Entrepreneurship-II |
| Ministry | Ministry of Rural Development |
| Umbrella Scheme | DAY-NRLM |
| Launch | 21 August 2026 |
| Duration | 21 August–21 November 2026 |
| Target Group | Rural women associated with SHGs |
| Sectors | Farm and Non-Farm livelihoods |
| Broader Goal | Sustainable women-led rural enterprises |
| National Link | 6 crore Lakhpati Didis |
| Digital Platforms | ONDC, GeM and other marketplaces |
| Grassroots Enterprise Cadre | Udyam Sakhis |
| Technical Bulletin | Sankalp Shakti |
What Is the Central Objective?
The central idea is to transform:
Livelihood Activity → Viable Enterprise → Formal Business → Market Access → Sustainable Income
This is important because simply training rural women in livelihood activities does not automatically create profitable enterprises.
Successful entrepreneurship also requires:
- business planning;
- finance;
- product development;
- branding;
- formal registration;
- market access;
- digital skills;
- continuous mentoring.
Entrepreneurship-II attempts to address these gaps.
Major Targets of Entrepreneurship-II
The campaign has set several measurable outcomes.
1. Train 5 Lakh SHG Women
Around 5 lakh Self-Help Group women are targeted for entrepreneurship and livelihood training.
Training will help women understand:
- business opportunities;
- enterprise management;
- financial planning;
- product development;
- marketing.
2. Orient 50,000 Community Cadres
The campaign aims to orient approximately:
50,000 community enterprise cadres
These grassroots workers can provide local support to women entrepreneurs.
Their role becomes particularly important in villages where professional business-advisory services are limited.
3. Formalisation of 50,000 Enterprises
The campaign aims to provide formalisation support to 50,000 enterprises.
Formalisation can involve requirements such as:
- business registration;
- appropriate licences;
- banking integration;
- digital payments;
- tax or compliance requirements where applicable;
- access to institutional markets.
Why Does Formalisation Matter?
A formal enterprise can potentially gain easier access to:
Credit + Government Markets + Digital Platforms + Institutional Buyers + Expansion Opportunities
4. 25,000 SHG Members to Enter E-Commerce
Around 25,000 SHG members are targeted for onboarding onto e-commerce platforms.
Important platforms include:
ONDC
Open Network for Digital Commerce
GeM
Government e-Marketplace
Other digital marketplaces may also be used.
The objective is to reduce rural producers' dependence solely on local markets.
From Local Haat to Digital Market
Traditionally:
Rural Producer
↓
Local Market
↓
Middlemen
↓
Consumer
Digital-market integration can potentially create:
Rural Woman Entrepreneur
↓
Digital Catalogue
↓
ONDC / GeM / E-Commerce
↓
Wider Buyer Network
↓
Higher Market Reach
However, logistics, quality control, packaging and digital literacy will remain important challenges.
5. Two Lakh More Members in Producer Institutions
The campaign seeks to strengthen membership of:
- Producer Groups
- Producer Enterprises
by approximately 2 lakh additional members.
Collective enterprises can provide small producers with:
- economies of scale;
- collective procurement;
- stronger bargaining power;
- processing facilities;
- common branding;
- better market access.
6. Agro-Ecological Practices for 20 Lakh Women
Approximately 20 lakh women are targeted for promotion of agro-ecological practices.
This connects rural entrepreneurship with:
- sustainable agriculture;
- soil health;
- natural-resource management;
- climate resilience;
- lower-input farming systems.
Mains Link
Rural entrepreneurship need not be separated from environmental sustainability.
The ideal model is:
Income Security + Ecological Sustainability + Women Empowerment
7. Database of 5 Lakh Adolescent Girls
Another distinctive target is creation of a database of around:
5 lakh adolescent girls from SHG households
This can help identify future requirements in areas such as:
- skills;
- education;
- entrepreneurship;
- livelihood planning.
It also reflects an attempt to build an inter-generational pathway from women's SHGs toward future economic participation.
Who Are Udyam Sakhis?
A major institutional feature of Entrepreneurship-II is greater recognition of grassroots enterprise-support personnel.
CRP-EPs
Community Resource Persons for Enterprise Promotion
and
BDSPs
Business Development Service Providers
will be recognised as:
Udyam Sakhis
These community-level functionaries can support rural entrepreneurs through:
- identifying viable businesses;
- preparing business plans;
- mentoring;
- market linkage;
- enterprise formalisation;
- financial literacy;
- troubleshooting.
Why Are Udyam Sakhis Important?
A rural woman may possess excellent skills in:
- food processing;
- handicrafts;
- dairy;
- agriculture;
- tailoring;
but still require support in:
Pricing + Finance + Packaging + Registration + Marketing + Digital Commerce
The Udyam Sakhi model seeks to bridge this gap.
Sankalp Shakti: Rural Enterprise Technical Bulletin
At the launch, the Rural Development Secretary also released:
Sankalp Shakti
It is the first Rural Enterprise Technical Bulletin associated with the initiative.
It is intended to become a monthly publication.
The bulletin can support:
- implementation;
- knowledge sharing;
- enterprise promotion;
- dissemination of good practices;
- capacity building.
Prelims Pair
Sankalp Shakti → Rural Enterprise Technical Bulletin
Remember this association.
National Campaign on Entrepreneurship-I vs Entrepreneurship-II
This distinction is extremely useful for UPSC.
Phase I
The original National Campaign on Entrepreneurship was launched on 12 January 2026 under DAY-NRLM.
Its major focus included:
- building a large pool of community enterprise promoters;
- training 50,000 Community Resource Persons;
- Entrepreneurship Development Programme training for 50 lakh SHG members;
- expansion of non-farm rural enterprises.
Phase II
Entrepreneurship-II builds on Phase I but changes the emphasis.
Phase I
Mass Capacity Building
↓
Phase II
Enterprise Deepening
through:
- intensive handholding;
- formalisation;
- producer institutions;
- digital commerce;
- market linkages;
- farm as well as non-farm businesses.
Most Important Analytical Difference
Phase I primarily expanded entrepreneurship capacity; Phase II focuses more deeply on converting that capacity into viable and sustainable enterprises.
This is an excellent point for Mains answers.
What Is DAY-NRLM?
DAY-NRLM stands for:
Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission
It is a flagship programme of the:
Ministry of Rural Development
It seeks to reduce rural poverty by organising poor rural households, particularly women, into community institutions such as:
Self-Help Groups → Village Organisations → Cluster-Level Federations
and enabling access to:
- credit;
- skills;
- livelihoods;
- markets;
- social-development opportunities.
It is implemented in partnership with States and Union Territories.
Scale of the SHG Movement
The scale of DAY-NRLM is important for understanding why Entrepreneurship-II matters.
As of July 2026, approximately:
92 lakh SHGs
had been formed under DAY-NRLM, covering around:
10.05 crore rural women.
This means India's rural women's SHG network has become one of the world's largest community-based livelihood platforms.
Financial Literacy Under DAY-NRLM
During FY 2025–26, more than:
3.81 crore women SHG members
received financial-literacy training covering areas including:
- financial planning;
- savings;
- credit;
- insurance;
- pensions;
- enterprise financing;
- business correspondence.
This creates an important foundation for entrepreneurship.
What Is Lakhpati Didi?
The Lakhpati Didi initiative is an outcome of DAY-NRLM rather than a completely separate standalone scheme.
A Lakhpati Didi is broadly an SHG woman enabled to earn a minimum annual income of ₹1 lakh on a sustainable basis, sustained across the prescribed livelihood/business cycle.
As of 28 July 2026, the Government reported more than:
3.46 crore Lakhpati Didis
under DAY-NRLM.
The national vision has subsequently been expanded toward:
6 crore Lakhpati Didis
Entrepreneurship-II is designed to contribute to this larger objective.
From SHG Member to Lakhpati Didi
A useful conceptual chain is:
Woman joins SHG
↓
Savings & Credit Access
↓
Skill Development
↓
Livelihood Activity
↓
Enterprise Training
↓
Institutional Finance
↓
Formalisation
↓
Market & E-Commerce Access
↓
Sustainable Enterprise
↓
Lakhpati Didi
Farm Entrepreneurship
One of the most important improvements in Phase II is the treatment of agricultural livelihood activities as potential enterprises.
Farm-based opportunities can include:
- dairy;
- poultry;
- fisheries;
- food processing;
- seed production;
- vegetable cultivation;
- mushroom cultivation;
- value-added agricultural products;
- livestock activities.
Instead of treating agriculture merely as a training activity, the campaign seeks to identify viable activities capable of becoming sustainable businesses.
Non-Farm Entrepreneurship
Non-farm enterprises may include:
- handicrafts;
- handloom;
- tailoring;
- food products;
- retail;
- repair services;
- local services;
- rural manufacturing;
- digital enterprises.
A diversified rural non-farm sector is important because excessive dependence on agriculture creates disguised unemployment and income vulnerability.
Role of ONDC
ONDC — Open Network for Digital Commerce seeks to create an open and interoperable digital-commerce ecosystem.
For rural women entrepreneurs, ONDC can potentially:
- expand customer reach;
- reduce dependence on a single marketplace;
- improve digital visibility;
- connect local producers with larger markets.
Challenge
Digital onboarding alone is not enough.
Women also require:
- good product photography;
- standard packaging;
- reliable logistics;
- quality control;
- inventory management;
- customer support.
Role of GeM
GeM — Government e-Marketplace is an online platform for procurement by government organisations.
If suitable women-led rural enterprises participate effectively, GeM can provide access to:
Government as an institutional buyer
This may create larger and more predictable demand for eligible products.
Why Rural Women Entrepreneurship Matters
1. Women's Economic Empowerment
Independent income can strengthen women's:
- decision-making power;
- financial autonomy;
- household status;
- bargaining capacity.
2. Rural Employment
Small local enterprises create employment close to villages and can reduce distress migration.
3. Poverty Reduction
Entrepreneurship can shift households from:
Subsistence Income → Diversified Income → Sustainable Asset Creation
4. Financial Inclusion
SHGs connect rural women with:
- banks;
- credit;
- savings;
- insurance;
- digital payments.
5. Local Economic Multiplier
Income earned locally is often spent within surrounding communities.
This can stimulate:
- rural demand;
- local services;
- micro-enterprises;
- employment.
SHGs as Social Capital
Self-Help Groups should not be viewed only as microcredit groups.
They generate social capital through:
- trust;
- collective decision-making;
- peer support;
- community networks;
- leadership.
Entrepreneurship-II attempts to convert this:
Social Capital → Economic Capital
This is an excellent phrase for Mains answers.
Women-Led Development
India's development discourse increasingly emphasises:
Women-led development
rather than only:
Women as beneficiaries of development.
The difference is important.
Welfare Approach
Women receive assistance.
Women-Led Development
Women become:
- producers;
- entrepreneurs;
- employers;
- decision-makers;
- owners of economic assets.
Entrepreneurship-II fits clearly into the second approach.
Bihar and BPSC Relevance
The initiative is particularly important for Bihar because of the state's extensive SHG ecosystem under:
JEEViKA — Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society
Bihar has played an important role in India's community-based women's livelihood movement.
In July 2026, the Ministry of Rural Development and BRLPS-JEEViKA organised a regional workshop at BIPARD, Gaya Ji, to prepare a strategy and roadmap for achieving the national vision of 6 crore Lakhpati Didis.
Officials from Bihar's Rural Development Department also participated physically in the launch of Entrepreneurship-II.
BPSC Link
Students should connect:
DAY-NRLM
↓
JEEViKA
↓
SHG Movement
↓
Women Entrepreneurship
↓
Lakhpati Didi
↓
Rural Transformation in Bihar
Major Challenges
Despite its potential, several structural challenges remain.
Limited Access to Credit
Women entrepreneurs may face:
- insufficient collateral;
- low credit history;
- small loan sizes;
- difficulty securing working capital.
Weak Market Linkages
Producing goods is often easier than selling them profitably.
Many SHG enterprises struggle with:
- market intelligence;
- pricing;
- branding;
- packaging;
- logistics.
Scale Problem
Many rural businesses remain micro-enterprises.
The real policy challenge is:
How can a livelihood activity become a scalable enterprise?
Digital Divide
E-commerce requires:
- smartphones;
- connectivity;
- digital literacy;
- payment skills;
- platform familiarity.
Unequal digital access can limit participation.
Quality and Standardisation
Large buyers require consistency in:
- quality;
- packaging;
- quantity;
- delivery.
Small rural producers may struggle to meet these standards independently.
Unpaid Care Work
Women continue to carry a disproportionate share of:
- childcare;
- elderly care;
- household work.
Enterprise programmes must therefore account for the time poverty of rural women.
Risk of Credit Without Market
Easy credit alone is not empowerment.
A weak business financed through debt can increase financial vulnerability.
Therefore:
Credit must be accompanied by skills, mentoring and assured market access.
Way Forward
Enterprise Clusters
Similar enterprises can be organised into clusters to gain economies of scale.
Stronger Producer Organisations
Producer Groups and Enterprises can aggregate:
- inputs;
- production;
- processing;
- marketing.
Credit Plus Approach
Policy should provide:
Credit + Skill + Technology + Mentoring + Market
rather than credit alone.
Digital Market Integration
ONDC, GeM and other platforms should be complemented by:
- logistics;
- branding;
- packaging;
- digital training.
Local Value Addition
Instead of selling raw produce, rural women should increasingly enter:
Processing → Packaging → Branding → Retail
This retains more value within rural economies.
Enterprise Data and Monitoring
Success should not be measured merely by:
Number trained
but by:
- enterprises surviving;
- income generated;
- jobs created;
- market access;
- women graduating to sustainable higher incomes.
★ Why Is This Topic Relevant for UPSC/State PCS?
★ UPSC Prelims
Remember:
- National Campaign on Entrepreneurship-II
- Ministry of Rural Development
- DAY-NRLM
- Lakhpati Didi
- Udyam Sakhi
- Sankalp Shakti
- ONDC
- GeM
- SHGs
- SVEP
★ GS Paper II
Relevant to:
- Government policies and interventions;
- welfare and development;
- SHGs;
- women empowerment;
- vulnerable sections;
- development processes.
★ GS Paper III
Relevant to:
- inclusive growth;
- rural economy;
- employment;
- entrepreneurship;
- agriculture;
- e-commerce.
★ Essay
Useful themes include:
- Women-Led Development
- Rural Transformation
- Financial Inclusion
- Entrepreneurship and Inclusive Growth
- Empowering Women through Economic Independence
Related UPSC PYQ 1 — GS Paper II, 2020
UPSC asked candidates to evaluate how Self-Help Groups contribute to asset creation, income security, poverty reduction and the empowerment of rural women.
Current Link
Entrepreneurship-II directly strengthens the transition:
SHG → Income Generation → Enterprise → Economic Empowerment
Related UPSC PYQ 2 — GS Paper II, 2017
UPSC asked candidates to examine the developmental role of SHGs and measures taken by the Government to promote them.
Current Link
Entrepreneurship-II provides an excellent contemporary example of how the State is strengthening community institutions rather than merely transferring welfare benefits.
Practice MCQ 1
With reference to the National Campaign on Entrepreneurship-II, consider the following statements:
- It operates under DAY-NRLM.
- It is implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development.
- It covers both farm and non-farm enterprises.
- It seeks to promote digital-market access for SHG women.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
A. 1 and 2 only
B. 1, 2 and 3 only
C. 2, 3 and 4 only
D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Answer: D
All four statements are correct.
Practice MCQ 2
Consider the following pairs:
| Initiative/Term | Associated Feature |
| Sankalp Shakti | Rural Enterprise Technical Bulletin |
| Udyam Sakhi | Community-level enterprise support |
| ONDC | Digital commerce |
| GeM | Government procurement marketplace |
How many pairs given above are correctly matched?
A. Only one
B. Only two
C. Only three
D. All four
Answer: D — All four
Mains Practice Question
“Self-Help Groups must evolve from instruments of financial inclusion into platforms for sustainable women-led entrepreneurship.” Discuss in the context of the National Campaign on Entrepreneurship-II.
250 words | GS Paper II/III
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the National Campaign on Entrepreneurship-II?
It is a three-month rural women's entrepreneurship campaign launched under DAY-NRLM to strengthen sustainable farm and non-farm enterprises.
When was it launched?
21 August 2026.
Which ministry launched it?
The Ministry of Rural Development.
How long will it run?
From 21 August to 21 November 2026.
How many SHG women are targeted for training?
Approximately 5 lakh.
How many enterprises will receive formalisation support?
Around 50,000 enterprises.
How many SHG members are targeted for e-commerce onboarding?
Approximately 25,000.
What is Sankalp Shakti?
It is a Rural Enterprise Technical Bulletin released with the campaign and intended as a monthly feature.
Who are Udyam Sakhis?
Community-level enterprise-promotion personnel such as CRP-EPs and Business Development Service Providers are being recognised as Udyam Sakhis.
How is the campaign linked with Lakhpati Didi?
By helping SHG women move from basic livelihoods to sustainable enterprises, it supports the larger national vision of creating 6 crore Lakhpati Didis.
60-Second Revision Box
Campaign: National Campaign on Entrepreneurship-II
Launch: 21 August 2026
Ministry: Rural Development
Umbrella: DAY-NRLM
Duration: 3 months
Target: Rural SHG women
5 lakh → Entrepreneurship/livelihood training
50,000 → Community cadres oriented
50,000 → Enterprises supported for formalisation
25,000 → SHG members targeted for e-commerce
2 lakh → Additional Producer Group/Enterprise membership
20 lakh → Women targeted for agro-ecological practices
Sankalp Shakti → Rural Enterprise Technical Bulletin
Udyam Sakhi → Grassroots enterprise-support cadre
Platforms → ONDC + GeM
Broader Goal → 6 crore Lakhpati Didis
Conclusion
The National Campaign on Entrepreneurship-II represents an important evolution in India's rural-development strategy.
The policy focus is shifting from simply organising rural women into Self-Help Groups and providing livelihood training toward creating:
Formal + Financially Viable + Digitally Connected + Market-Oriented Women-Led Enterprises
Its success will ultimately depend not on how many women receive training, but on how many enterprises survive, expand, create employment and generate sustainable incomes.
If implemented effectively, Entrepreneurship-II can help transform India's SHG revolution into an:
Entrepreneurship Revolution led by rural women.
Sources
- Akashvani News — Government Launches Entrepreneurship-II under DAY-NRLM
- PIB — SHGs Formed under DAY-NRLM, July 2026
- PIB — Action Plan under Lakhpati Didi Initiative, July 2026
- PIB — 6 Crore Lakhpati Didi Regional Workshop at BIPARD Gaya Ji
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