Turn Lakhpati Didis into Crorepati Didis, says President Murmu at Saras Mela in Vijayawada

Lakhpati Didis are rural women supported to earn a sustainable annual household income of ₹1 lakh or more. The idea links income growth with skills, enterprise, and independence. President Droupadi Murmu urged India to take this effort further by creating Crorepati Didis.

Becoming a Crorepati Didi would mean moving beyond basic income security toward large, successful businesses. A woman might strengthen a farm activity, animal-husbandry venture, micro-enterprise, or another livelihood. Training in digital services, renewable energy, branding, packaging, and marketing can help her earn more and reach wider markets.

The article reports that some women entrepreneurs already earn more than ₹2 lakh annually. More than 10 crore women have joined self-help groups in 12 years. Murmu said these women are becoming wealth creators, not merely scheme beneficiaries. Turning Lakhpati Didis into Crorepati Didis would deepen women’s contribution to household incomes and India’s economic growth.

The National Saras Mela in Vijayawada brought rural women entrepreneurs, self-help groups, and consumers together. President Droupadi Murmu addressed the event on October 15, 2026. She described self-help groups as important to rural economic strength and women’s financial, technological, and social empowerment.

Murmu urged rural women to become financially independent entrepreneurs. She asked for the progress of Lakhpati Didis, who earn at least ₹1 lakh in sustainable annual household income, to continue toward a Crorepati Didi goal. The mela also gave women a place to display traditional products and develop business skills.

She connected this effort with India’s development target for 2047, or earlier. Murmu said women’s participation in economic production was essential. She also noted their growing roles in healthcare, education, animal welfare, local governance, and rural politics, alongside their expanding business activity.

The scale of participation is striking: more than 10 crore women joined self-help groups over the past 12 years. This shows how widely community-based rural initiatives have spread. The article also says women associated with more than nine lakh self-help groups are contributing to their families’ economic well-being.

The rural livelihoods mission has brought more than five crore rural women farmers into its fold. Women-led institutions sit at the centre of this mission. It also supports non-farm enterprises and includes landless women, widening the range of people who can receive livelihood assistance.

These figures show that women’s economic participation is being organised at national scale. The reported growth supports Murmu’s confidence that women’s empowerment can help India become a developed nation by 2047, or even earlier. The next challenge is helping more participants increase earnings and build sustainable businesses.

Self-help groups strengthen rural women by bringing them into community-based economic activity. They support financial, technological, and social empowerment. Women who once depended on family support are increasingly earning independently and contributing to household income. This matters because income can also build confidence and decision-making power.

The article gives several pathways. Government initiatives support agriculture, animal husbandry, micro-enterprises, and other livelihood activities. Women-led institutions also assist non-farm enterprises. Saras Melas add skills in branding, packaging, networking, and marketing. Together, these mechanisms help women improve products, reach customers, and develop sustainable businesses.

The change is visible in everyday responsibilities. Women who once hesitated to visit banks now manage financial transactions and deal with government offices themselves. More than 10 crore women have joined self-help groups in 12 years. Some entrepreneurs earn over ₹2 lakh annually, while the wider goal is to help more women become Lakhpati and Crorepati Didis.

Saras Melas act as advanced rural markets where women entrepreneurs can meet consumers from across the country. President Murmu said these events strengthen direct connections between rural producers and urban markets. That connection matters because women can show their products directly instead of depending only on local demand.

The mela offers more than a sales space. Women can showcase traditional products and learn branding, packaging, networking, and marketing. Better branding helps customers recognise a product. Suitable packaging protects it and improves presentation. Marketing helps women communicate value, find buyers, and expand beyond their villages.

The article says these opportunities can improve product quality, widen markets, and build sustainable businesses. It also notes that women’s marketing capabilities are developing. This supports the wider Lakhpati-to-Crorepati ambition by giving rural entrepreneurs practical routes to increase sales, strengthen enterprises, and contribute more to household and national income.

The Union and State governments are presented as partners in expanding women’s empowerment. President Murmu said their collective efforts could help India become a developed nation by 2047, or earlier. Government initiatives open livelihood opportunities in agriculture, animal husbandry, micro-enterprises, and other activities.

Women-led institutions are central to the Union government’s rural livelihoods mission. They help organise women’s participation and support employment and inclusive development. The mission includes more than five crore rural women farmers and has assisted lakhs of non-farm enterprises. Its reach also includes landless women, not only those with farms.

This arrangement connects policy with local action. Self-help groups strengthen women financially, technologically, and socially, while Saras Melas help them reach markets. The article describes women as leaders in village transformation. Continued cooperation among governments and women-led institutions can help more women earn independently, expand enterprises, and support their communities.

Inclusive development cannot rely on women as passive beneficiaries. President Murmu said women must participate in economic production because their work strengthens household incomes and the national economy. Independent earnings also reduce dependence on family support and help women become financially confident and socially active.

The article shows this change through practical responsibilities. Women who once hesitated to visit banks now manage financial transactions and government offices themselves. Women-led institutions support livelihoods, while self-help groups help participants enter farming, animal husbandry, micro-enterprises, and non-farm activities. Owning or leading such enterprises gives women a direct role in creating wealth.

This participation also spreads beyond business. Women are increasingly active in healthcare, education, animal welfare, local governance, and rural politics. More than 10 crore women have joined self-help groups in 12 years. Expanding access to finance, enterprise support, skills, and markets can make development more inclusive and help India reach its 2047 goal.