Uttarakhand crosses 3 lakh mark in Lakhpati Didis

Uttarakhand has crossed the three-lakh milestone in the number of women earning over ₹1 lakh annually, with 3,03,696 women becoming Lakhpati Didis by the end of financial year 2025–26, according to the state government. Building on this momentum, the government has set a target to add 1.12 lakh more Lakhpati Didis in 2026–27 and aims to meet it ahead of schedule.

About the Lakhpati Didi initiative

Launched in November 2022 under the Uttarakhand State Rural Livelihood Mission (USRLM), the Lakhpati Didi initiative focuses on strengthening women’s incomes and the rural economy through self-help groups (SHGs). Women entrepreneurs are leveraging government grants and credit to operate enterprises across diverse sectors, including:

• Organic farming and food processing
• Spice production and handicrafts
• Dairy, livestock and beekeeping
• Mushroom cultivation
• Homestays and rural tourism
• Millet-based bakery products to meet rising demand

Market access, branding and infrastructure

• Infrastructure support includes 24 growth centres, 33 nano packaging units and 17 Saras centres to strengthen processing, packaging, sales and outreach.
• Saras fairs at district, state and national levels connect SHG products to larger markets.
• The House of Himalayas brand has expanded recognition for SHG and rural producers’ goods, with improved branding, packaging and quality driving demand in major cities.

Scale and organisation

More than 5.19 lakh women are organised under USRLM across all 13 districts and 95 blocks. This network comprises:

• 70,767 self-help groups (SHGs)
• 8,179 village organisations (VOs)
• 615 cluster-level federations (CLFs)

Policy support and impact

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has highlighted the central role women are playing in Uttarakhand’s economic and social development. Complementary measures include 30% horizontal reservation for women in government services and 33% reservation in cooperative societies. The government is also supporting entrepreneurship, livelihoods, drone applications and solar energy adoption. The programme has repeatedly exceeded annual targets ahead of deadlines.

Outlook

With robust institutional backing, expanding market linkages and a clear roadmap to add 1.12 lakh more Lakhpati Didis in 2026–27, Uttarakhand is poised to further accelerate women-led rural enterprises and deepen the gains of the Lakhpati Didi mission.