The Union Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), in collaboration with the Kerala State Rural Livelihood Mission Kudumbashree, organized a two-day national workshop on Rural Enterprise Incubators in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The workshop, held under the DAY-National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM), focused on advancing women-led rural enterprises. MoRD Secretary Shri Shailesh Kumar Singh highlighted that DAY-NRLM has mobilized over 10 crore women into 90 lakh Self-Help Groups (SHGs), with many becoming first-generation entrepreneurs. He cited successful pilot programs in Assam, Bihar, West Bengal, and Karnataka, and noted that Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and other states are scaling up with academic partners. Smt. Swati Sharma, Joint Secretary (RL), MoRD, emphasized the Ministry’s vision of scaling the incubator program into a national platform for women-led rural entrepreneurship. The workshop included panel discussions on mentoring, financing, technology, market access, and convergence, with experts from academia, industry, and social enterprise networks. The expected outcome is actionable strategies for scaling enterprise incubation across states, contributing to the empowerment of women entrepreneurs under DAY-NRLM and aligning with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. Ms. Rajeshwari S.M, Director (RL), Ministry of Rural Development, provided an overview of DAY-NRLM and the incubator program.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Rural Development: The Union Ministry organizing the National Workshop on Rural Enterprise Incubators.
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: Location where the two-day National Workshop on Rural Enterprise Incubators was held.
Shailesh Kumar Singh: Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD).
Kerala State Rural Livelihood Mission Kudumbashree: Collaborator with MoRD in organizing the National Workshop on Rural Enterprise Incubators.
DAY National Rural Livelihood Mission: The program under which the National Workshop on Rural Enterprise Incubators was organized.
M.B. Rajesh: Minister for Local Self-Government, Kerala.
Swati Sharma: Joint Secretary RL, Ministry of Rural Development.
Assam Agricultural University: University whose Vice Chancellor Dr. Bidyut C. Dekha delivered a felicitation address at the workshop.
Ministry of Rural Development
Union Ministry of Rural Development Organises
Two-Day National Workshop on Rural Enterprise
Incubators in Thiruvananthapuram
Over 10 Crore Women Mobilized Into 90 Lakh Self-
Help Groups Across the Country, informs MoRD
Secretary Shri Shailesh Kumar Singh
Posted On: 11 SEP 2025 10:47AM by PIB Delhi
Union Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), in collaboration with Kerala State Rural Livelihood Mission
(Kudumbashree), organised a two-day National Workshop on Rural Enterprise Incubators under DAY-
National Rural Livelihood Mission on Wednesday in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
Shri Shailesh Kumar Singh, Secretary, MoRD, in his virtual inaugural address, highlighted the incubator
program’s role in advancing women-led rural enterprises, noting that DAY-NRLM has mobilized over 10
crore women into 90 lakh SHGs, with many becoming first-generation entrepreneurs. He cited the success of
pilots in Assam, Bihar, West Bengal, and Karnataka, and shared that Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and
several other States are scaling up with leading academic partners.
Addressing the gathering, Shri M.B. Rajesh, Minister for Local Self-Government, Kerala, underlined Kerala’s
commitment to promoting women-led entrepreneurship through Kudumbashree and expressed confidence that
the workshop would serve as a platform for collaboration and innovation to strengthen rural enterprise
ecosystems.Delivering a message on behalf of MoRD, Ms. Swati Sharma, Joint Secretary (RL), MoRD, Govt of India,
has emphasized the Ministry’s vision of scaling the incubator program into a national platform for women-led
rural entrepreneurship, and expressed confidence that the workshop would generate actionable strategies and
strong partnerships for ensuring its long-term success.
The workshop will help create an environment for the enterprises selected for the incubator project to grow,
said Ms. Rajeshwari S.M, Director (RL), Ministry of Rural Development. She gave a detailed overview on
DAY- NRLM and the incubator program. Kudumbashree Executive Director Shri H. Dineshan welcomed the
participants. Assam Agricultural University Vice Chancellor Dr.Bidyut C. Dekha delivered the felicitation
address. Kudumbashree Chief Operating Officer C. Naveen proposed the vote of thanks.
The workshop features panel discussions on mentoring, financing, technology, market access, and
convergence, with the participation of eminent experts from academia, industry, and social enterprisenetworks, whose insights and contributions will help shape the scaling of rural enterprise incubation across
States. The two-day deliberations are expected to provide actionable strategies for scaling enterprise
incubation across states and contribute to empowering women entrepreneurs under DAY-NRLM in line with
the vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047.
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RC/KSR/AR
(Release ID: 2165528)