**Policy Summary: SHE-Marts Initiative**
**Overview**
On March 24, 2026, the Ministry of Rural Development announced the launch of Self Help Entrepreneur (SHE) Marts, a new initiative designed to provide a structured retail platform for rural women entrepreneurs. The initiative operates under the Self Help Group (SHG) ecosystem to strengthen market access and enable women to transition from credit-linked livelihood activities to becoming sustainable enterprise owners.
**Key Objectives and Framework**
* **Market Access:** SHE-Marts will serve as retail outlets where products manufactured by SHG members can be showcased and sold directly to consumers.
* **Business Scaling:** The initiative aims to improve the visibility of local products, create stronger market linkages, and provide capacity-building support to help women scale their businesses.
* **Integration:** The project is part of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
* **Ownership and Financing:** The marts are designed as community-owned retail outlets within cluster-level federations. They are to be supported through enhanced and innovative financing instruments.
**Current Status and Metrics**
* **Financial Status:** As of the announcement date, no funds have been sanctioned or spent on the initiative.
* **Visitor Counter:** 162 (at the time of the release).
* **Official Communication:** The details were provided by Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, Minister of State for Rural Development, in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
**Administrative Details**
* **Posted By:** PIB Delhi
* **Release ID:** 2244646
* **Reference Number:** RC/ADS/5226
* **Date:** March 24, 2026
Key Entities Referenced
SHE-Marts: Structured retail platforms and community-owned outlets designed to provide market access and visibility for products made by rural women entrepreneurs.
Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM): The central government mission under which the SHE-Marts initiative is implemented to support women in establishing sustainable enterprises.
Ministry of Rural Development: The primary central ministry responsible for the policy announcement and the oversight of the SHE-Marts initiative.
Self Help Group (SHG) ecosystem: The core institutional framework of rural women-led enterprises that the initiative aims to scale and strengthen.
Ministry of Rural Development
‘SHE-Marts’ will provide a new market platform
for rural women entrepreneurs
Posted On: 24 MAR 2026 6:34PM by PIB Delhi
The Government has announced the setting up of Self Help Entrepreneur (SHE) Marts as a new initiative
to strengthen market access for rural women-led enterprises under the Self Help Group (SHG) ecosystem.
These marts are envisaged as structured retail platforms where products made by SHG members can be
showcased and sold directly to the consumers. The initiative is aimed at creating stronger market linkages,
improving visibility of local products, strengthening SHG institutions, and enabling women entrepreneurs
to expand and scale their businesses.
The Government has proposed measures to support women in transitioning from credit-linked livelihood
activities to becoming owners of enterprises. Under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural
Livelihoods Mission, the SHE-Marts initiative provides market access and capacity-building so that
women can establish sustainable enterprises.
Government has announced to set up SHE-Marts as community-owned retail outlets within the cluster
level federations through enhanced and innovative financing instruments. No funds has been
sanctioned/spent so far.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Rural Development Dr. Chandra Sekhar
Pemmasani in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
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RC/ADS/5226
(Release ID: 2244646) Visitor Counter : 162
Read this release in: Urdu