Self-Help Groups — small collectives of rural women who pool savings and lend to each other — scaled up massively under DAY-NRLM, reaching 10.19 crore women in 94.46 lakh groups by August 2026.
Women's Empowerment & SHGs
Women's Empowerment & SHGs
One of the quietest revolutions in India is the rise of women's Self-Help Groups (SHGs). Under DAY-NRLM, the number of rural women in SHGs grew from 5.63 crore in 2018 to 10.19 crore in 94.46 lakh groups by August 2026 — small savings-and-credit collectives that lend to members and run enterprises. The Lakhpati Didi drive, which set out to help 3 crore of them earn over ₹1 lakh a year, reached 3.46 crore by July 2026 and now aims for 6 crore, and 'Drone Didis' now fly agri-drones. The counter shows women mobilised into SHGs.
10.2 cr
Women in SHGs (Aug 2026)
94 lakh
Self-help groups (Aug 2026)
3.46 cr
Lakhpati Didis (July 2026)
Women in SHGs (Nov 2018 → Aug 2026)
| Year | Women in SHGs |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 5.6 crore |
| 2019 | 6.5 crore |
| 2021 | 8.0 crore |
| 2022 | 8.7 crore |
| 2023 | 9.9 crore |
| 2024 | 10.1 crore |
| 2025 | 10.1 crore |
| 2026 | 10.2 crore |
| Dashed bars are years the source does not publish; the shape between published years is drawn, not measured. | |
2018
0.0crore
Women in SHGs
20182026
Since 2018
Added
+4.6 crore
2018
5.6 crore
2026
10.2 crore
Dashed bars are years the source does not publish; the shape between published years is drawn, not measured.
Why it matters SHGs give rural women income, credit, confidence and a political voice — one of the most effective engines of grassroots women's empowerment.
- Women in SHGs: 5.63 cr (Nov 2018) → 10.19 cr (Aug 2026); 94.46 lakh SHGs
- 3.46 crore Lakhpati Didis (July 2026; target now 6 crore); ₹12.18 lakh cr bank credit since 2013-14
- Source: DAY-NRLM
History
Lakhpati & Drone Didis
SHGs have accessed ₹12.18 lakh crore in bank credit since 2013-14. The Lakhpati Didi drive passed its goal of 3 crore women earning over ₹1 lakh a year, with 3.46 crore by July 2026, and now aims for 6 crore; under NaMo Drone Didi, women's groups get agricultural drones with an 80% subsidy — turning members into entrepreneurs.
How it works
The model is the self-help group (SHG) — 10-20 women who pool small savings, lend to each other, and over time get linked to bank loans at low rates. Under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission, tens of lakhs of these groups are federated into village organisations and cluster-level federations, giving poor rural women collective bargaining power, a credit history, and a route into enterprise — from dairy to drones.
Outlook
About 10.19 crore women are now in 94.46 lakh SHGs — one of the largest such networks in the world. The flagship goals are Lakhpati Didi (helping women earn over ₹1 lakh a year, with 3.46 crore reached by July 2026 and a new goal of 6 crore) and Namo Drone Didi (putting agri-drones in women's hands). The real test is scale and durability — turning savings groups into lasting businesses, not just loan channels, and moving members from subsistence to genuine prosperity.
By the numbers
Women in SHGs 5.63 cr (Nov 2018) → 10.19 cr (Aug 2026); 94.46 lakh groups; ₹12.18 lakh cr bank credit since 2013-14; 3.46 cr Lakhpati Didis (July 2026), target 6 cr. Source: DAY-NRLM, Ministry of Rural Development (PIB).
Data current to: 12 August 2026
Source: Ministry of Rural Development, DAY-NRLM (via PIB) — rural women, one per household, mobilised into self-help groups, cumulative since the mission began and including groups formed under the earlier SGSY scheme, crore, at the latest date reported each year: 5.63 (November 2018), 6.47 (October 2019), 8.01 (30 November 2021), 8.71 (December 2022), 9.89 (30 November 2023), 10.05 (30 June 2024, reported unchanged to December 2025) and 10.19 in 94.46 lakh groups (12 August 2026, linked). No official figures were found for 2014–2017 or 2020. · link