The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), through the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), signed a Non-Financial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Project Concern International (PCI) India to strengthen women-led enterprises, particularly Self-Help Group (SHG)-led enterprises, through public procurement and market-linked enterprise development. The MoU was signed under the chairpersonship of Shri Rohit Kansal, Secretary, Department of Rural Development, with Ms. Swati Sharma, Joint Secretary (Rural Livelihoods), MoRD, and Mr. Indrajit Chaudhuri, CEO & Country Director, PCI India, as signatories.
This three-year MoU covering 2026–2029 formalizes collaboration initiated in 2022 under the "Leveraging Public Procurement for Women's Economic Empowerment" initiative supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The partnership involves no transfer of funds or financial obligations, with each party bearing its own costs for activities undertaken.
A key component is the establishment of a National Resource Cell/Public Procurement and Business Model Support Cell within DAY-NRLM, with technical support from PCI India. This Cell will provide strategic and operational support to strengthen procurement-linked enterprise ecosystems across State Rural Livelihoods Missions (SRLMs). The partnership will support development of enterprise incubation frameworks, SOPs, operational toolkits, and standardized capacity-building modules, while facilitating training and handholding of SRLM teams and SHG enterprises on Government e-Marketplace (GeM) onboarding, tender participation, quality standards, documentation, and procurement compliance.
During FY 2026–27, focused technical assistance is proposed initially in seven states: Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, while enabling wider engagement with other states. The collaboration will also undertake national technical learning sessions, cross-state knowledge-sharing, enterprise opportunity mapping, and development of scalable procurement-linked business models. Additionally, the partnership will explore sustainable enterprise models through renewable energy integration, sustainable production practices, and convergence with relevant government agencies.
The MoU supports DAY-NRLM's objectives and the national vision of creating 6 crore Lakhpati Didis through sustainable, enterprise-led, and market-linked livelihoods. It also contributes to broader national goals of Viksit Bharat 2047, Sustainable Development Goals, and India's Net Zero aspirations by promoting inclusive, sustainable, and market-oriented livelihood opportunities for rural women.