The Ministry of Rural Development is convening a high-level meeting in Mumbai on 3 September 2026 to review progress and chart next steps for the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM). Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan will chair the gathering, which brings together banks, state rural livelihoods agencies and other stakeholders to discuss how to accelerate credit flow to women-led rural businesses.
What has the DAY-NRLM achieved so far
Over fifteen years, the DAY-NRLM has mobilised more than 10 crore rural women into over 93 lakh Self Help Groups (SHGs) and their federations. Banks have extended cumulative credit of over Rs. 13.67 lakh crore to these groups, supported by strong repayment records. This institutional lending has helped 3.46 crore women—known as Lakhpati Didis—establish and expand livelihood enterprises.
The meeting will bring together senior officials from the Reserve Bank of India, Department of Financial Services, public and private sector banks, regional rural banks, cooperative banks, NABARD and State Rural Livelihoods Missions.
What the meeting will discuss
- Doubling the credit portfolio directed to individual enterprises run by SHG members
- Increasing the average loan amount given to Self Help Groups
- Speeding up the time taken to approve and disburse loans
- Expanding credit linkage to remaining SHGs, especially in remote and difficult areas
- Strengthening cooperative credit institutions at the district and village level
These discussions will inform the implementation of Financial Inclusion 2.0, a vision aimed at ensuring reliable and sufficient credit for SHGs, dedicated financing for women entrepreneurs and broader access to financial services across rural India.
What this means for you
If you are part of a Self Help Group or run a rural enterprise, this meeting signals government intent to make loans faster to access and in larger amounts. The focus on reducing loan processing delays and expanding credit to difficult regions suggests that women entrepreneurs in underserved areas may find it easier to secure financing for business growth in the coming period.