A two-day Regional Workshop on "Making of 6 Crore Lakhpati Didis: Farm, Non-Farm Livelihoods and MIS Strategy & Roadmap" was organised at the Bihar Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development (BIPARD), Gaya Ji, by the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, in collaboration with Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (BRLPS-JEEVIKA). The workshop concluded with the formulation of a comprehensive strategy, roadmap, and Annual Action Plan for FY 2026–27 to achieve the national vision of 6 Crore Lakhpati Didis.

The workshop was addressed virtually by Shri Rohit Kansal, Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. The event was also attended by Shri Pankaj Kumar, Principal Secretary, Rural Development Department, Government of Bihar; Dr. Safeena A. N., Additional Director General, BIPARD, Gaya Ji; Smt. Swati Sharma, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India; Shri Himanshu Sharma, Chief Executive Officer, BRLPS-JEEVIKA; Smt. Ananya Singh, Additional Chief Executive Officer, BRLPS-JEEVIKA; Smt. Sangeeta Yirang, Chief Executive Officer, Arunachal State Rural Livelihood Mission; Smt. Rajeshwari S. M., Director (Rural Livelihoods), Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India; Shri Anjani Kumar Singh from the Gates Foundation, along with Chief Executive Officers, Additional Chief Executive Officers and representatives of State Rural Livelihood Missions from across the country, development partners, technical experts, and practitioners working in the rural livelihoods sector. Over the course of two days, participants deliberated extensively on farm and non-farm livelihoods, digital Management Information Systems (MIS), convergence, enterprise promotion, and long-term strategies for enhancing the incomes of rural women.

The inaugural session commenced with the National Song, ceremonial lighting of the lamp, and the welcome of dignitaries. Welcoming the participants, Smt. Ananya Singh, Additional Chief Executive Officer, BRLPS-JEEVIKA, emphasized the importance of knowledge sharing among State Rural Livelihood Missions and the exchange of successful livelihood models. Smt. Rajeshwari S. M., Director (RL), Ministry of Rural Development, described the Lakhpati Didi initiative as a national movement for the economic empowerment of rural women. Dr. Safeena A. N., Additional Director General, BIPARD, underscored the critical role of continuous capacity building, institutional strengthening and knowledge exchange in empowering rural women and sustaining livelihood outcomes. Shri Pankaj Kumar, Principal Secretary, Rural Development Department, Government of Bihar, highlighted convergence, innovation, and market-oriented livelihoods as the foundation for achieving the target of 6 Crore Lakhpati Didis.

Following the inaugural session, participants attended three parallel technical tracks on Farm Livelihoods, Non-Farm Livelihoods, and Management Information Systems (MIS). These sessions featured discussions on agricultural and non-farm enterprises, value chains, digital platforms, data management, and successful livelihood models from various States. The recommendations emerging from these deliberations formed the basis of the strategy and action plan presented on the second day.

The second day focused on consolidating the recommendations from all three thematic verticals and presenting the strategy, roadmap, and Annual Action Plan for FY 2026–27.

The proceedings began with a review of the key recommendations from Day One by Smt. Rajeshwari S. M. Thereafter, Shri Raman Wadhwa, Deputy Director, Ministry of Rural Development, along with the National Mission Management Unit (NMMU), presented the strategic framework for farm and non-farm livelihoods, outlining policy reforms, institutional strengthening measures, and priority interventions for accelerating sustainable livelihood promotion.

On the MIS strategy, Shri Shantanu Bohi and the NMMU team highlighted the importance of digital platforms, data-driven decision-making, real-time monitoring, and stronger integration of data systems across States.

Addressing the participants, Shri Himanshu Sharma, Chief Executive Officer, BRLPS-JEEVIKA, emphasized that innovation, institutional ownership, and evidence-based planning would play a crucial role in accelerating women's income enhancement and creating sustainable livelihood opportunities.

During the workshop, the book "Fostering Pathways for Rural Transformation" was formally launched. An MoU between BRLPS-JEEVIKA and the Arunachal State Rural Livelihood Mission (ArSRLM) was also signed to strengthen institutional collaboration, knowledge exchange, and cross-learning between the two State Rural Livelihood Missions.

Smt. Swati Sharma, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, delivered an address on "Lakhpati Didi: The Journey So Far and the Road Ahead." She highlighted the significant achievements of DAY-NRLM in increasing women's incomes and strengthening community institutions across the country. She emphasized that the next phase of the mission would focus on enterprise diversification, value addition, greater use of digital platforms, market linkages, climate-resilient livelihoods, and convergence-based development. She urged States to adopt data-driven planning, effectively utilize digital systems, and further strengthen community institutions. She also emphasized the need to establish a Centre of Excellence for the capacity building of Lakhpati Didis.

She further delivered a presentation on "Making of 6 Crore Lakhpati Didis," highlighting the successful achievement of the national milestone of 3 Crore Lakhpati Didis, the key learnings, major achievements, and the strategic direction for the next phase. She called upon States to adopt innovation, convergence, and outcome-oriented implementation strategies to achieve the ambitious target of 6 Crore Lakhpati Didis.

Addressing the workshop virtually, Shri Rohit Kansal, Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, congratulated all States on successfully achieving the milestone of 3 Crore Lakhpati Didis. He stated that this achievement reflects the collective strength of women Self-Help Groups, strong community institutions, and effective implementation by the States. Expressing confidence in achieving the next milestone of 6 Crore Lakhpati Didis, he said that the experience, learnings, innovations, and technological advancements from the first phase would serve as the foundation for the next stage of the mission. He emphasized that technology, market-led enterprises, financial inclusion, convergence, and innovation would be the key drivers of rural transformation. Concluding his address with the inspiring words of renowned poet Maithili Sharan Gupt-"हम कौन थे, क्या हो गए हैं और क्या होंगे अभी"-he extended his best wishes to all participating States for achieving the national vision of 6 Crore Lakhpati Didis.

During the valedictory session, representatives from all States and Union Territories participated in a panel discussion to consolidate the recommendations emerging from the Farm, Non-Farm, and MIS verticals and reached a consensus on the shared action plan, implementation priorities, and timelines for the coming years. During the discussion, Smt. Swati Sharma emphasized the need for regular use of the Lakhpati Didi Dashboard and informed participants that refresher training on relevant digital applications would be organised wherever required to strengthen implementation.

The workshop concluded with the presentation of recommendations from all thematic verticals, followed by discussions on the future course of action and implementation timelines. All participating States reaffirmed their commitment to working collectively towards achieving the national vision of 6 Crore Lakhpati Didis by promoting sustainable livelihoods, strengthening community institutions, fostering digital innovation, and enhancing the incomes of rural women.

The two-day regional workshop served not only as a platform for sharing experiences and best practices but also as an important forum for policy dialogue, innovation, inter-state learning, and collaborative planning, providing renewed momentum to the Lakhpati Didi mission under DAY-NRLM.

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