**Executive Summary**
This document presents the answer to Starred Question No. 3 in the Lok Sabha regarding the "Niveshak Didi – Phase II" initiative. The initiative, launched on April 7, 2025, aims to enhance financial awareness among women in rural and underserved areas across India. A statement detailing the objectives, measures, and achievements of the program is laid on the Table of the House.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Initiative Overview:**
* **Name:** Niveshak Didi – Phase II
* **Objective:** Enhance financial awareness among women in rural and underserved areas.
* **Start Date:** April 7, 2025
* **Model:** "By Women, For Women" community-based approach.
* **Financial Awareness Measures:**
* Strengthened and updated comprehensive financial awareness content.
* Key themes include savings, budgeting, responsible credit usage, digital financial services, insurance, investments, and fraud prevention.
* **Outreach Expansion:**
* Focused on rural and underserved regions with limited or no banking access.
* Camps are held at Anganwadis, Self-Help Groups (SHGs), panchayat halls, and women-only gatherings.
* Niveshak Didis conduct home visits, especially in areas with mobility restrictions.
* **Interactive Training Modules:**
* Simple, engaging, and relevant to rural households.
* Cover family budgeting, savings habits, safe digital payments (including UPI), and fraud prevention.
* Uses participatory methods like storytelling, group activities, role plays, demonstrations, and peer learning.
* **Program Statistics & Partnerships:**
* Details of awareness programs and camps conducted from 2022-23 to 2025-26 are in Annexure I.
* No awareness programs or camps were conducted in the Jalgaon Lok Sabha constituency of Maharashtra and Bishnupur parliamentary constituency of West Bengal.
* A list of camps by district in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, and Rajasthan is in Annexure II.
* The Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) partnered with India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) to promote financial literacy.
* Niveshak Didi Phase II envisions 4000 financial literacy camps across India.
* 40,000 women postal workers will be trained as community financial educators.
* **Beneficiaries:**
* State-wise number of female participants is in Annexure III, with a total of 1,16,325 participants.
* No beneficiaries in Sidhi Parliamentary Constituency, Madhya Pradesh.
**Impact Analysis**
**IEPFA (Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority) and IPPB (India Post Payments Bank):**
* **Impact:** Partnership to expand the reach of financial literacy programs.
* **Action Required:** Continue collaboration for expanding reach and outcome of this initiative
**Women in Rural and Underserved Areas:**
* **Impact:** Enhanced financial awareness, promotion of informed savings and investment decisions, awareness of financial frauds, and adoption of safe digital financial practices.
* **Action Required:** Participate in awareness programs and adopt recommended practices.
**Women Postal Workers:**
* **Impact:** Trained as community financial educators.
* **Action Required:** Deliver financial education at the grassroots level using the postal workers' widespread rural presence.
Key Entities Referenced
Niveshak Didi – Phase II: An initiative to enhance financial awareness among women in rural and underserved areas.
Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA): Partnered with India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) under the Niveshak Didi program.
India Post Payments Bank (IPPB): Partnered with IEPFA under the Niveshak Didi program to promote financial literacy.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS
LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. 3
ANSWERED ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2025/AGRAHAYANA 10, 1947 (SAKA)
NIVESHAK DIDI – PHASE II
*3. Shri Manoj Tiwari:
Smt. Kamaljeet Sehrawat:
Will the Minister of CORPORATE AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) the details of the objectives and key components of the Niveshak Didi – Phase
II initiative;
(b) the details of the measures taken to strengthen financial awareness, expand
outreach and introduce interactive technology driven training modules in this
phase, particularly in aspirational and semi-urban districts of the country;
(c) the details of the number of awareness programmes or camps conducted so
far under this initiative in the country, State/UT-wise including Bihar, Chhattisgarh,
Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan particularly Jalgaon Parliamentary Constituency
of Maharashtra and Bishnupur Parliamentary Constituency of West Bengal;
(d) the details of women who have benefited from the awareness programmes or
camps organized so far under the said initiative of the Government, State and year-
wise including Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh;
(e) whether the Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) has
entered into partnership with any institutions, self-help groups, NGOs or grassroot
organizations for last mile delivery of financial education and services,
particularly in Rajsamand Parliamentary Constituency in Rajasthan;
(f) if so, the details of the achievements made so far and the future action plan for
expanding the “Niveshak Didi” initiative across the country, particularly in the
National Capital Territory of Delhi, Uttarakhand and West Bengal; and
(g) the total number of beneficiaries of the Niveshak Didi – Phase-II initiative in
Sidhi Parliamentary Constituency in Madhya Pradesh?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE (SHRIMATI NIRMALA SITHARAMAN)
AND CORPORATE AFFAIRS (श्रीमती निममला सीतारामि)
नित्त एिं कारपोरेट कार्म मंत्री
(a) to (g): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
********STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) TO (g) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION
NO. *3 (3rd POSITION) FOR 1st December, 2025 REGARDING ‘NIVESHAK DIDI PHASE II’
(a): The Niveshak Didi – Phase II initiative, which commenced on 7th April
2025, aims to enhance financial awareness among women in rural and under-
served areas, promote informed savings and investment decisions, raise
awareness on financial frauds, advance safe digital financial practices, adopt
a community-based “By Women, For Women” model, strengthen household
financial planning and promote financial awareness and banking access to
remote regions.
(b): The following measures have been taken in this phase:
(i) Strengthening Financial Awareness: Comprehensive financial
awareness content has been updated, covering key themes such as savings,
budgeting, responsible credit usage, digital financial services, insurance,
investments, and fraud prevention.
(ii) Outreach Expansion: The programme has significantly strengthened its
outreach with a focus on rural and under-served regions. Most camps are
conducted in areas with limited or no banking access. Camps are held at
Anganwadis, Self-Help Groups (SHGs), panchayat halls and women-only
gatherings with the help of SHGs and Mahila Mandals. Niveshak Didis also
visit homes and neighbourhoods, bringing financial education to their
doorsteps, especially in areas where mobility is restricted.
(iii) Interactive Training Modules: The modules are simple, engaging, and
relevant to rural households. They cover family budgeting, savings habits,
safe digital payments (including UPI), and fraud prevention. Training uses
participatory methods such as storytelling, group activities, role plays,
demonstrations on safe digital banking and peer learning.
(c): The details of the number of the awareness programs or camps
conducted so far under this initiative in the country, State-wise and Union
Territory-wise, for the period 2022-23 to 2025-26 is placed at Annexure I. No
awareness programs or camps were conducted in the Jalgaon Lok Sabha
constituency of Maharashtra and Bishnupur parliamentary constitution of
West Bengal. Further, list of Camps by District in Bihar, Chhattisgarh,
Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan is placed at Annexure II.(d): State-wise number of female participants of the initiative is placed at
Annexure III.
(e)& (f): Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) had
partnered with India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) under the “Niveshak Didi”
program to promote financial literacy. Niveshak Didi Phase II has been
launched with IPPB on 7th April, 2025 for expanding the reach and outcome
of this initiative at PAN India Level. Niveshak Didi Phase 2, envisages 4000
financial literacy camps targeting rural and semi urban population including
women across the country, including Rajasthan, National Capital Territory of
Delhi, Uttarakhand and West Bengal. Around 40,000 women postal workers
will be trained as community financial educators. This initiative leverages
postal workers’ widespread rural presence to deliver financial education at
the grassroots level.
(g): The total number of beneficiaries of the NIVESHAK DIDI Phase-II
initiative in Sidhi Parliamentary Constituency, Madhya Pradesh, is NIL.
*****Annexure I
State and Union Territory-wise details of Awareness Programs/Camps
Conducted (2022-23 to 2025-26)
Sl. No. of camps
2022-23 2023-24 2025-26
No. STATE / UTs conducted
(Phase-I) (Phase-I) (Phase-II
(Phase-I & II)
1. ANDAMAN AND
- - 3 3
NICOBAR ISLANDS
2. ANDHRA PRADESH - 50 113 163
3. ASSAM - 7 - 7
4. BIHAR - 19 - 19
5. CHANDIGARH - 1 - 1
6. CHHATTISGARH - 21 32 53
7. DELHI - 11 4 15
8. GUJARAT - 29 4 33
9. HARYANA - 54 - 54
10. H IMACHAL
- 25 5 30
PRADESH
11. J AMMU AND
2 11 5 18
KASHMIR
12. J HARKHAND - 8 16 24
13. K ARNATAKA - 67 74 141
14. K ERALA - 35 13 48
15. M ADHYA PRADESH 2 88 30 120
16. M AHARASHTRA 2 34 - 36
17. M ANIPUR - - 4 4
18. M EGHALAYA - 6 - 6
19. M IZORAM 8 6 - 14
20. N AGALAND - 10 - 10
21. O DISHA - 96 65 161
22. P UDUCHERRY - 6 2 8
23. P UNJAB - 21 - 21
24. R AJASTHAN - 22 10 32
25. S IKKIM - - 5 5
26. T AMIL NADU 2 269 78 349
27. T ELANGANA - 45 92 137
28. T RIPURA - 2 4 6
29. U TTAR PRADESH - 80 65 145
30. U TTARAKHAND - 20 5 25
31. W EST BENGAL 2 49 153 204
Grand Total 18 1092 782 1892Annexure II
List of Camps by District in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, and Rajasthan
Sl. No. Of Camps
Branch/District State
No. (Phase-I and Phase-II)
1. DARBHANGA BIHAR 1
2. GAYA BIHAR 5
3. HAJIPUR BIHAR 6
4. KATIHAR BIHAR 6
5. PATNA BIHAR 1
6. AMBIKAPUR CHHATTISGARH 2
7. BAIKUNTHPUR CHHATTISGARH 3
8. BALOD CHHATTISGARH 1
9. BEMETARA CHHATTISGARH 1
10. CIVIC CENTRE BHILAI CHHATTISGARH 5
11. DHAMTARI CHHATTISGARH 6
12. JAGDALPUR CHHATTISGARH 3
13. JASHPURNAGAR CHHATTISGARH 2
14. KANKER CHHATTISGARH 6
15. KONDAGAON CHHATTISGARH 2
16. KORBA CHHATTISGARH 2
17. MAHASAMUND CHHATTISGARH 1
18. MUNGELI CHHATTISGARH 5
19. RAIGARH CHHATTISGARH 4
20. RAIPUR CHHATTISGARH 8
21. SUKMA CHHATTISGARH 1
22. SURAJPUR CHHATTISGARH 1
23. CHAMBA HIMACHAL PRADESH 1
24. DEHRA HIMACHAL PRADESH 7
25. DHARAMSALA HIMACHAL PRADESH 3
26. HP BILASPUR HIMACHAL PRADESH 2
27. HP HAMIRPUR HIMACHAL PRADESH 7
28. KULLU HIMACHAL PRADESH 3
29. MANDI HIMACHAL PRADESH 2
30. NAHAN HIMACHAL PRADESH 4
31. SHIMLA HIMACHAL PRADESH 1
32. AJMER RAJASTHAN 9
33. BARAN RAJASTHAN 4
34. BHILWARA RAJASTHAN 2
35. BIKANER RAJASTHAN 1
36. CHITTORGARH RAJASTHAN 1
37. CHURU CITY RAJASTHAN 1
38. DAUSA RAJASTHAN 1
39. JAIPUR RAJASTHAN 2
40. JHUNJHUNU RAJASTHAN 2
41. KOTA RAJASTHAN 4
42. MOTIDOONGRI RAJASTHAN 1
43. NAGAUR RAJASTHAN 1
44. SIKAR RAJASTHAN 1
45. TONK RAJ RAJASTHAN 1
46. UDAIPUR RAJASTHAN 1Annexure III
State-wise Number of Female participants of the Niveshak Didi Phase-II
(2025-26) Initiative :-
Sl. No. State No. of Female Participants
1. ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS 92
2. ANDHRA PRADESH 8,510
3. ASSAM 532
4. BIHAR 917
5. CHHATTISGARH 2,582
6. DELHI 995
7. GUJARAT 2,606
8. HARYANA 3,162
9. HIMACHAL PRADESH 1,799
10. JAMMU AND KASHMIR 615
11. JHARKHAND 1,537
12. KARNATAKA 8,954
13. KERALA 3,351
14. LEH & LADDAKH 35
15. MADHYA PRADESH 7,354
16. MAHARASHTRA 1,945
17. MANIPUR 129
18. MEGHALAYA 545
19. MIZORAM 582
20. NAGALAND 725
21. ODISHA 12,299
22. PUDUCHERRY 410
23. PUNJAB 1,059
24. RAJASTHAN 1,408
25. SIKKIM 205
26. TAMIL NADU 19,431
27. TELANGANA 5,957
28. TRIPURA 547
29. UTTAR PRADESH 6,527
30. UTTARAKHAND 1,007
31. WEST BENGAL 20,508
Total 1,16,325