Hyderabad, 21 February: Union Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan said extending credit to women Self Help Groups is among the safest investments for the country and will play a key role in women-led rural transformation and the vision of a developed India.
He was addressing the 25th Central Level Coordination Committee meeting held in Hyderabad following the National Conclave on Financial Literacy and Resilience organised by the Ministry of Rural Development. The event brought together policymakers, regulators, financial institutions, State Rural Livelihood Missions and community representatives to discuss strengthening financial awareness and expanding access to credit in rural areas.
Chouhan emphasised stronger bank linkage for SHGs and focused support for individual women entrepreneurs, stating that women beneficiaries can progress from “Lakhpati” to “Crorepati” with institutional support. He also stressed improving last-mile financial access, enterprise financing and risk protection mechanisms for rural households.
During the programme, three initiatives were launched — an individual enterprise bank loan system for SHG members, UPI-based credit lines and digital financial literacy modules — aimed at simplifying credit delivery and promoting digital finance adoption among rural women.
Union Minister of State Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani said financial inclusion should now move towards enterprise-led empowerment, while Telangana Rural Development Minister D. Anasuya Seethakka highlighted the role of livelihood missions in promoting women-led enterprises.
Officials from the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of Telangana, NABARD, RBI, banks and international agencies participated in the meeting, which concluded with a commitment to strengthen coordination and accelerate inclusive rural growth.
