**Executive Summary**
The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) held a National Consultation on May 14–15, 2026, in Bhubaneswar to finalize operational guidelines for SHE-MARTs (Self Help Entrepreneurs-Marketing Avenues for Rural Transformation). This initiative aims to operationalize a 2026 Budget announcement by establishing decentralized, women-led rural marketing ecosystems. A key objective is to support the creation of three crore additional "Lakhpati Didis" by 2029 through a phased nationwide implementation.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Strategic Vision and Objectives**
* **Shift in Approach:** Transition from basic livelihood promotion to enterprise-led rural market systems.
* **Sustainability Model:** Focus on community-owned, professionally managed retail and aggregation systems rather than subsidy-driven institutional models.
* **Growth Targets:** Support for State Rural Livelihoods Missions (SRLMs) to enhance income opportunities, enterprise growth, branding, and market access for women-led producer collectives.
**Operational Framework and Guidelines**
* **Thematic Focus:** Deliberations covered institutional architecture, financing models, convergence pathways, monitoring systems, and technology integration.
* **Refining the Framework:** Five thematic groups reviewed draft guidelines to identify implementation gaps, additions, deletions, and practical alternatives for large-scale rollout.
* **Leadership and Governance:** Emphasis on professional retail management systems while ensuring women-led governance and community ownership.
**Collaboration and Convergence**
* **Institutional Support:** Facilitated by PRADAN as the National Support Organisation and hosted by the Odisha Livelihoods Mission.
* **Inter-Program Synergy:** Discussion on convergence opportunities with VB-GRAM-G regarding women-centric infrastructure, demand generation, and market support.
**Impact Analysis**
**State Rural Livelihoods Missions (SRLMs) and States/UTs**
**Impact**
SRLMs are the primary drivers for establishing SHE-MARTs as sustainable marketing platforms at the regional level. They are responsible for adapting the national framework to local contexts.
**Action Required**
States and UTs must critically examine the draft framework, identify implementation gaps, and prepare for a phased rollout based on finalized operational guidelines.
**Women-Led Producer Collectives and SHG Entrepreneurs**
**Impact**
These groups will transition from subsidy-dependent entities to owners and managers of decentralized retail ecosystems. The initiative directly supports the goal of elevating three crore women to "Lakhpati Didi" status.
**Action Required**
Women leaders and collectives must adopt professional retail management practices and assume governance roles within the SHE-MART structure to enhance market access and branding.
**Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) / DAY-NRLM**
**Impact**
The MoRD serves as the central coordinating body, providing the strategic roadmap and financial/technical frameworks for national transformation.
**Action Required**
The Ministry must finalize the operational guidelines based on consultation feedback and monitor the progress toward the 2029 Lakhpati Didi targets.
Key Entities Referenced
SHE-MARTs (Self Help Entrepreneurs-Marketing Avenues for Rural Transformation): A strategic initiative to establish decentralized, community-owned, and women-led rural marketing ecosystems and retail platforms.
Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM): The flagship national program under the Ministry of Rural Development that is spearheading the development and implementation of SHE-MARTs.
Budget Announcement - 2026: The primary policy document and fiscal mandate that officially paved the way for the operationalization of the SHE-MART framework.
Lakhpati Didis: A government initiative targeting the creation of 3 crore high-earning women in rural producer collectives, supported by marketing platforms like SHE-MARTs.
VB-GRAM-G: A referenced program identified for potential convergence with SHE-MARTs to provide women-centric infrastructure and market support systems.
Ministry of Rural Development
MoRD Charts Roadmap for Women-Led Rural
Marketing Ecosystems Across India Through
SHE-MARTs
DAY-NRLM Leads National Consultation on SHE-MARTs for
Women-Led Rural Marketing Ecosystems Across India
Posted On: 18 MAY 2026 4:09PM by PIB Delhi
The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Government of India, through the Deendayal Antyodaya
Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), organized a two-day National Consultation on
SHE-MARTs (Self Help Entrepreneurs-Marketing Avenues for Rural Transformation) on 14th-15th
May’2026 at the Mayfair Convention Hall, Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The consultation paved the way for
operationalization of the Budget Announcement - 2026, hosted by the Odisha Livelihoods Mission
(OLM), Mission Shakti Department, Government of Odisha, and facilitated by PRADAN as the National
Support Organisation (NSO).
State Mission Directors, CEOs, senior officials from State Rural Livelihoods Missions (SRLMs),
representatives from NABARD, sector experts, development practitioners, financial institutions, and
ecosystem partners converged together deliberated on strategic interventions for strengthening women-led
rural enterprises and market systems.The Consultation aimed to finalize the operational guidelines for the SHE-MART initiative through
ground feedback, suggestions, and contextual insights from States and Union Territories. Key themes
included institutional architecture, financing models, convergence pathways, monitoring systems, business
processes, governance structures, technology integration, and implementation strategies.
The inaugural session was led by Shri T. K. Anil Kumar, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Rural
Development, Government of India who delivered the keynote inaugural address virtually. In his keynote
address, he emphasized that the future of DAY-NRLM lies in enterprise development and market
integration. He underlined that SHE-MARTs should emerge as community-owned retail and aggregation
systems led by women’s collectives rather than subsidy-driven institutional models.
Ms. Swati Sharma, Joint Secretary, MoRD, highlighted that the National Consultation is intended to
function as a working platform where States/UTs could critically examine the draft framework, identify
implementation gaps, and propose practical alternatives for large-scale rollout.
Ms. Rohini R Bhajibhakare, Joint Secretary, MoRD also joined the consultation to highlight the key
features of VB-GRAM-G.
Dr. Monica Priyadarshini, State Mission Director, Odisha Livelihoods Mission highlighted Odisha’s
experience in building decentralized women-led enterprise ecosystems through Mission Shakti and
community institutions.
Dr. Molishree, Director, Rural Livelihoods, DAY-NRLM, presented the evolution and strategic vision of
the SHE-MART initiative and emphasized the need to move from livelihood promotion to enterprise-led
rural market systems.
Ms. Deeksha Supyaal Bisht, Assistant Commissioner, VB-GRAM-G, Government of India, discussed
potential convergence opportunities between VB-GRAM-G and SHE-MARTs, particularly around
women-centric infrastructure, demand generation, and market support systems.
A major highlight of Day 1 was the national panel discussion on “SHE-MARTs as a Strategic Intervention
for Rural Marketing,” The panel brought together diverse perspectives from government, finance,
technology, and social enterprise sectors to deliberate on scalable design principles for SHE-MARTs. The
Consultation further included extensive subgroup deliberations involving five thematic groups that
critically reviewed the draft SHE-MART operational framework through lenses of further detailing,
additions, deletions, and aspects to avoid.
Day 2 of the Consultation focused on HR Structure & Women’s Leadership, Technical Design &
Implementation Strategy, and Capacity-Building Architecture. Participants emphasized the need for
professional retail management systems while preserving women-led governance and community
ownership.
Across the two-day Consultation, a strong consensus on making SHE-MARTs as decentralized, women-
led, professionally managed, community-owned enterprise ecosystems rather than subsidy-dependent
retail outlets emerged.
The Consultation concluded with a shared commitment from States/UTs, DAY-NRLM, and ecosystem
partners to strengthen the final operational guidelines for SHE-MARTs and support phased
implementation across the country. The Ministry of Rural Development reiterated its commitment to
making of 3 crores additional Lakhpati Didis by 2029, and for supporting SRLMs in establishing SHE-
MARTs as sustainable rural marketing platforms that enhance income opportunities, enterprise growth,
branding, and market access for women-led producer collectives across India.****
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