High-Level Meeting on SHG-Bank Linkages and Enterprise Financing
The Ministry of Rural Development is organizing a high-level meeting on September 3, 2026, in Mumbai to discuss SHG-Bank linkages and individual enterprise financing. The meeting will be chaired by Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare and Rural Development) and attended by Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani (Union Minister of State of Rural Development and Communications), Shri Kamlesh Paswan (Hon'ble Minister of State of Rural Development), and the Hon'ble Minister of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Government of Maharashtra.
Program Background and Achievements
The meeting focuses on the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), which has mobilized over 10 crore rural women into more than 93 lakh Self Help Groups (SHGs) and their federations over the past 15 years. The banking sector has disbursed cumulative credit of over ₹13.67 lakh crore to SHGs, backed by consistently high repayment discipline. This credit flow has enabled 3.46 crore women to emerge as Lakhpati Didis by establishing and expanding livelihood enterprises.
Meeting Participants and Objectives
The meeting will include senior representatives from the Reserve Bank of India, Department of Financial Services, Public Sector Banks, Private Sector Banks, Regional Rural Banks, Cooperative Banks, NABARD, PFRDA, Central Ministries, and State Rural Livelihoods Missions. Prior to the review, Union Minister Chouhan will interact with Self Help Group Didis, including several Lakhpati Didis running established rural enterprises.
Key Discussion Points
Managing Directors and Executive Directors of banks, Chairmen of Regional Rural Banks and Apex Cooperative Banks, and CEOs of State Rural Livelihoods Missions will discuss strategies for doubling the individual enterprise credit portfolio, enhancing the average quantum of disbursement to SHGs, reducing turnaround time in loan sanction and disbursement, saturating credit linkage of remaining SHGs (including in difficult regions), and strengthening the cooperative credit structure at District Central Cooperative Bank (DCCB) and Primary Agricultural Credit Society (PACS) levels.
Strategic Outcomes
The deliberations will contribute to the Financial Inclusion 2.0 vision implementation, aimed at ensuring timely and adequate credit for SHGs, dedicated financing for women-led enterprises, and expanded access to higher-order financial services in rural India. The mission's next strategic priority is to nurture women-led enterprises and support their transition into sustainable rural businesses as many enterprises enter a growth phase.