Lakhpati Didi: an income-planning guide for women in SHGs
Understand the Lakhpati Didi income definition, how DAY-NRLM and self-help groups support livelihood planning, where a woman can ask for help and why the initiative is not a guaranteed cash grant.
In this guide
What Lakhpati Didi means
Lakhpati Didi is an outcome within the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM). It aims to help women in self-help groups build sustainable household income through livelihoods, skills, finance and markets.
The definition measures sustained household income
The official programme describes an SHG member whose household earns around ₹1 lakh or more a year, with monthly income of about ₹10,000 sustained over at least four agricultural seasons and/or business cycles. It looks at continuing income, not a single month or one sale.
It is an initiative, not a fixed cash prize
The official pathway focuses on livelihood planning, training, community support, finance and market links. A Lakhpati Didi label does not itself promise an individual grant or a transfer of ₹1 lakh; specific loans or support have their own eligibility and repayment terms.
Income can come from more than one activity
Official examples include farming, livestock, food processing, crafts, household enterprises and services. Diversification can reduce reliance on one season, but each activity needs a realistic cost, buyer and time plan.
| Activity / cycle | Sales received | Costs | Net income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farm or seasonal work | |||
| Livestock, processing or craft | |||
| Service or small enterprise | |||
| Total this month / cycle |
Ask your SHG about the local planning route
There is no single online form that guarantees the outcome. Support is organised through DAY-NRLM, State Rural Livelihood Missions, SHGs and their federations, with local processes varying by place.
Start with the SHG and its federation
Ask the group leader, Village Organisation or Cluster-Level Federation who the assigned Community Resource Person is and whether livelihood planning is available in the block. If you are not a member, ask the local mission office how SHGs are formed and whether new membership is open.
Ask how potential households are identified
The national website lists suggestive criteria for identifying potential participants, including SHG membership history and livelihood activity. It also says States may adapt criteria. Treat those as planning guidance, not a universal legal eligibility test or a reason to promise a selection.
Request a written livelihood plan
List existing work, skills, assets, time, care responsibilities, seasonal risks and a likely buyer. Ask the Community Resource Person or SHG federation what training, finance, equipment or market link actually exists before taking a loan or buying stock.
Compare finance, assets and market support
A livelihood plan should fit the woman's time, decision-making power and repayment capacity. The group or mission can help connect to several support routes, but each one has separate rules.
Separate savings, internal loans and bank credit
Ask whether money is a member's own savings, an SHG internal loan, a revolving or community investment fund, a bank-linked loan or a government subsidy. Confirm the borrower, amount, interest, repayment, guarantor and who controls the account.
Check whether the market can absorb the product
Before producing at scale, speak with prospective buyers, compare local prices, packaging and delivery costs, and confirm payment timing. GeM, fairs, cooperatives and local retail each require different products and paperwork.
Keep the woman's access to earnings and records
Record whose name is on the asset, loan, bank account, stock and sales. Agree how money is reinvested or shared in the household; do not allow another member to borrow in her name without her informed consent.
Review progress across seasons and business cycles
The income definition is about sustained earnings. A simple record can show whether the activity is profitable after inputs and whether the household is exposed to a seasonal shortfall.
Record receipts and costs, not just sales
Include raw materials, travel, hired labour, loan instalments, spoilage and household time where possible. Keep receipts, bank or UPI entries and SHG records so the group can identify actual net income.
Check progress with a resource person
Ask when the Aajeevika Register or local livelihood plan is reviewed and how to correct an error. If one activity is not working, discuss a safer adjustment before borrowing more or taking on an order the group cannot fulfil.
Report exclusion or misuse through the mission
If support is promised for a fee, a loan is entered without consent or a member's income is misreported, keep evidence and contact the SHG federation and State mission grievance route. Ask for a written response and do not share banking codes.
Common questions about Lakhpati Didi
Does every SHG member get ₹1 lakh from the government?
No. The term describes a sustained household-income outcome the initiative seeks to enable. It is not a promise of a ₹1 lakh cash payment to each member.
Do I have to own a registered company?
The programme works through rural SHGs and livelihood activities. A separate company may be useful for some businesses, but it is not the definition of Lakhpati Didi; ask the SHG and local mission about the proposed activity.
Can one activity count toward the income goal?
The definition measures household income sustained over several seasons or business cycles. The mission encourages diversified livelihood options; ask the local team which activities and income evidence it records.
Where do I begin?
Speak with your SHG, its Village Organisation or federation, or the State Rural Livelihood Mission's local block office. Ask for the Community Resource Person and a written livelihood-planning route.
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Sources and publication record
Draft prepared 26 September 2026; project-team editorial review pending · Sources checked .
- How SHG members can work towards Lakhpati Didi statusMinistry of Rural Development, Government of India
- DAY-NRLM livelihood and financial support available to SHGsMinistry of Rural Development, Government of India
- Womaniya on GeM: official overview for women entrepreneurs and SHGsPress Information Bureau, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India