The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) has initiated a nationwide roadmap for the creation of women-led rural marketing ecosystems through SHE-MARTs (Self Help Entrepreneurs-Marketing Avenues for Rural Transformation), aimed at strengthening women-led enterprises, boosting rural incomes, and expanding market access for self-help groups across India.
The roadmap was discussed during a two-day National Consultation organised by the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) in Bhubaneswar on May 14 and 15. The consultation was hosted by the Odisha Livelihoods Mission under the Mission Shakti Department of the Odisha government and facilitated by PRADAN as the National Support Organisation.
Senior officials from State Rural Livelihoods Missions (SRLMs), NABARD, financial institutions, development practitioners, sector experts, and ecosystem partners participated in the discussions focused on operationalising the SHE-MART initiative announced in the Union Budget 2026.
The consultation aimed to finalise operational guidelines for SHE-MARTs by incorporating feedback and suggestions from states and Union Territories. Discussions covered institutional frameworks, financing models, governance systems, business processes, technology integration, monitoring mechanisms, and implementation strategies.
Addressing the inaugural session virtually, MoRD Additional Secretary T.K. Anil Kumar said the future of DAY-NRLM lies in enterprise development and stronger market integration. He stressed that SHE-MARTs should evolve as community-owned retail and aggregation platforms led by women’s collectives rather than subsidy-driven institutional structures.
MoRD Joint Secretary Swati Sharma said the consultation served as a working platform for states and Union Territories to critically review the draft framework, identify implementation challenges, and suggest practical measures for large-scale rollout.
Another MoRD Joint Secretary, Rohini R. Bhajibhakare, highlighted key features of the VB-GRAM-G initiative and discussed convergence opportunities with SHE-MARTs.
Odisha Livelihoods Mission State Mission Director Monica Priyadarshini shared Odisha’s experience in building decentralised women-led enterprise ecosystems through Mission Shakti and community institutions.
Director of Rural Livelihoods under DAY-NRLM, Dr. Molishree, outlined the strategic vision of the SHE-MART initiative and stressed the need to shift from livelihood promotion to enterprise-led rural market systems.
Assistant Commissioner for VB-GRAM-G, Deeksha Supyaal Bisht, highlighted opportunities for convergence between VB-GRAM-G and SHE-MARTs, especially in women-centric infrastructure, demand generation, and market support systems.
One of the key highlights of the consultation was a national panel discussion on “SHE-MARTs as a Strategic Intervention for Rural Marketing,” where experts from government, finance, technology, and social enterprise sectors deliberated on scalable models for women-led rural markets.
Participants also engaged in thematic subgroup discussions reviewing the draft operational framework and suggesting additions, refinements, and implementation safeguards.
The second day of the consultation focused on human resource structures, women’s leadership, technical design, implementation strategies, and capacity-building architecture. Participants emphasised the need for professional retail management systems while preserving community ownership and women-led governance.
A broad consensus emerged during the consultation that SHE-MARTs should function as decentralised, professionally managed, community-owned enterprise ecosystems rather than subsidy-dependent retail outlets.
The Ministry reiterated its commitment to creating three crore additional “Lakhpati Didis” by 2029 and supporting State Rural Livelihood Missions in establishing SHE-MARTs as sustainable rural marketing platforms to enhance branding, enterprise growth, and income opportunities for women-led producer collectives across the country.
