**Executive Summary**
The document is a response from the Minister of Corporate Affairs to questions regarding the Niveshak Didi – Phase II initiative. This initiative, which began on April 7, 2025, aims to enhance financial literacy among women in rural and underserved areas. The Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) partnered with India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) to expand the reach of the initiative. Annexure I details the number of awareness programs/camps conducted from 2022-23 to September 2025.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Niveshak Didi – Phase II Objectives:**
* Enhance financial awareness among women in rural and underserved areas.
* Promote informed savings and investment decisions.
* Raise awareness of financial fraud.
* Advance safe digital financial practices.
* Community-based "by women, for women" education model.
* Strengthen household financial planning.
* Promote financial awareness and banking access to remote regions.
* **Measures Taken in Phase II:**
* *Strengthening Financial Awareness:* Updating comprehensive financial awareness content covering savings, budgeting, responsible credit usage, digital financial services, insurance, investments, and fraud prevention.
* *Outreach Expansion:* Strengthening outreach with a focus on rural and underserved regions. Camps are conducted in areas with limited banking access at Anganwadis, Self-Help Groups (SHGs), panchayat halls, women-only gatherings, and home visits.
* *Interactive Training Modules:* Using simple, engaging modules relevant to rural households, covering family budgeting, savings habits, safe digital payments (including UPI), and fraud prevention through participatory methods like storytelling, group activities, and demonstrations.
* **Partnership and Future Roadmap:**
* IEPFA partnered with IPPB to promote financial literacy under the "Niveshak Didi" program.
* Niveshak Didi Phase II was relaunched with IPPB on April 7, 2025, to expand the initiative's reach at the PAN India Level.
* Phase-II aims to conduct 4000 financial literacy camps targeting rural and semi-urban populations.
* Around 40,000 women postal workers will be trained as community financial educators.
* **Awareness Programs/Camps Conducted:**
* A total of 1892 camps have been conducted till September 2025 across different states and UTs, with the highest number in Tamil Nadu (349), followed by West Bengal (204), Andhra Pradesh (163), and Odisha (161). Details of State/UT wise programs is detailed in Annexure I.
**Impact Analysis**
**Rural Women in Underserved Areas**
* *Impact:* Increased financial awareness, better savings and investment decisions, and improved access to banking and financial services.
* *Action Required:* Participate in awareness programs and training modules offered by Niveshak Didis and leverage the information to improve household financial planning and security.
**Postal Workers**
* *Impact:* Enhancement of skills and increased roles as financial educators to provide financial literacy and awareness to the rural population.
* *Action Required:* Participate in training programs to become community financial educators and conduct financial literacy programs in rural areas.
**Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) and India Post Payments Bank (IPPB)**
* *Impact:* Enables the organisations to expand their reach and promote financial literacy among women at grassroots level.
* *Action Required:* Continue to collaborate and support the implementation of Niveshak Didi Phase II, and monitor the progress and outcomes of the initiative.
Key Entities Referenced
Niveshak Didi: A financial literacy initiative focused on empowering women in rural and underserved areas with financial knowledge and access to banking services. Includes multiple phases.
Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA): An authority involved in partnering with institutions like India Post Payments Bank to promote and expand the Niveshak Didi program.
India Post Payments Bank (IPPB): A partner of IEPFA in implementing the Niveshak Didi program to promote financial literacy.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1258
ANSWERED ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2025/AGRAHAYANA 17, 1947 (SAKA)
NIVESHAK DIDI
1258. SMT. POONAMBEN HEMATBHAI MAADAM:
SHRI MAGUNTA SREENIVASULU REDDY:
SHRI AVIMANYU SETHI:
SHRI HARIBHAI PATEL:
SMT. D K ARUNA:
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;
(b) the details of the measures undertaken by the Government to strengthen financial
awareness, expand outreach and introduce interactive training modules;
(c) the number of awareness programmes or camps conducted under this initiative so far
across the country, State/UT-wise especially in Andhra Pradesh;
(d) whether the Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) has partnered
with any institutions and other grassroot organisations for last-mile delivery of financial
education and services; and
(e) if so, the outcomes achieved and the future roadmap for expanding the “NIveshak Didi”
initiative across the country?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE OF THE MINISTRY OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS AND MINISTRY OF
ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
(HARSH MALHOTRA)
(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”
education 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, including Andhra
Pradesh, for the period 2022-23 to 2025-26 (till September, 2025) is placed at Annexure I.
(d)&(e): 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 again with IPPB on 7th April, 2025 for
expanding the reach and outcome of this initiative at PAN India Level. Niveshak Didi
Phase-II, envisages 4000 financial literacy camps on responsible investing, fraud
prevention and digital banking targeting rural and semi urban population including women
across the country. 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.
********Annexure I
State and Union Territory-wise details of Awareness Programs/Camps Conducted [2022-
23 to 2025-26(till September, 2025)]
Sl. 2025-26 No. of camps
2022-23 2023-24
No. STATE / UTs (till September 2025) 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. HIMACHAL PRADESH - 25 5 30
11. JAMMU AND
2 11 5 18
KASHMIR
12. JHARKHAND - 8 16 24
13. KARNATAKA - 67 74 141
14. KERALA - 35 13 48
15. MADHYA PRADESH 2 88 30 120
16. MAHARASHTRA 2 34 - 36
17. MANIPUR - - 4 4
18. MEGHALAYA - 6 - 6
19. MIZORAM 8 6 - 14
20. NAGALAND - 10 - 10
21. ODISHA - 96 65 161
22. PUDUCHERRY - 6 2 8
23. PUNJAB - 21 - 21
24. RAJASTHAN - 22 10 32
25. SIKKIM - - 5 5
26. TAMIL NADU 2 269 78 349
27. TELANGANA - 45 92 137
28. TRIPURA - 2 4 6
29. UTTAR PRADESH - 80 65 145
30. UTTARAKHAND - 20 5 25
31. WEST BENGAL 2 49 153 204
Grand Total 18 1092 782 1892