The Delhi Lakshmi Yojana recorded 4,25,631 registrations on its official portal by 4 pm on 6 August 2025, just five days after its launch, with 1,49,941 women having submitted their final applications, according to officials. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta visited the Shalimar Bagh area the same day to interact with applicants, assist them with registration forms, and address on-ground difficulties.

Registration Momentum

The scheme, launched on 1 August 2025, crossed 3.78 lakh registrations by 8 pm on Wednesday, with 1.16 lakh final applications submitted by that point. Within just 12 hours of the portal going live, more than 33,730 women had registered — signalling strong early demand. The pace has accelerated steadily since.

Chief Minister Gupta, in a post on X, described her Shalimar Bagh visit: 'Today, in Shalimar Bagh, there was a heartfelt meeting with beneficiary sisters at the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana camp. I helped them fill out their registration forms, signed their applications, and engaged in conversation with them.'

How the Scheme Works

Eligible women will receive ₹2,500 per month in direct financial assistance. The scheme offers two disbursement options. Under the first, ₹1,000 monthly is credited to a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) wallet for day-to-day expenses, while the remaining ₹1,500 is deposited into a recurring deposit (RD) or fixed deposit (FD) account. Under the second option, the full ₹2,500 is deposited monthly into an RD or FD, allowing beneficiaries to build savings with interest over time.

A digital negative list will govern the CBDC wallet, restricting spending on alcohol, tobacco, narcotics, lottery tickets, gambling, and betting — ensuring funds are directed toward household welfare.

Scope and Vision

The scheme will run for an initial period of three years and is expected to benefit nearly 17 lakh women across Delhi. It was originally approved by the Delhi Cabinet as the Mahila Samriddhi Yojana before being renamed Delhi Lakshmi Yojana to better reflect its focus on women's dignity, prosperity, and economic empowerment.

Chief Minister Gupta described the programme as going beyond conventional cash transfers: 'Going beyond direct financial support, the scheme aims to connect women with savings, digital financial inclusion, social security and long-term financial stability, making it an innovative model in the country.'

What Sets It Apart

The integration of CBDC wallets with a spending restriction framework is a notable departure from standard direct benefit transfer models. By pairing immediate liquidity with compulsory savings, the scheme attempts to address both short-term household cash needs and longer-term financial security — a dual mandate that few state welfare programmes have attempted at this scale. This comes amid a broader national push for women's financial inclusion, with several states running competing cash transfer schemes ahead of electoral cycles.

What's Next

Women yet to register can access the portal at dly.delhi.gov.in or visit the nearest registration camp for assistance. With 17 lakh women targeted and fewer than 4.26 lakh registered so far, the government faces the larger challenge of reaching the remaining eligible population before the scheme's initial three-year window closes.