CM Rekha Gupta Launches Lakshmi Yojana for Delhi Women
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Every month, ₹2,500 — part cash, part forced savings — could start flowing to eligible women across Delhi under a new scheme that Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced on Saturday, 1 August 2026. The Lakshmi Yojana is now open for applications through the official portal, and it carries a structure that sets it apart from a plain cash handout.
How the ₹2,500 actually works
The monthly benefit is split into two streams. ₹1,000 goes directly into the beneficiary's bank account each month — money she can spend immediately. The remaining ₹1,500 is parked in a Fixed Deposit on her behalf, building a savings corpus over a lock-in period.
Beneficiaries get a choice at enrolment. They can draw the ₹1,000 monthly while the FD grows quietly in the background. Or they can let the entire ₹2,500 accumulate and receive it as a monthly payout for three years after the lock-in ends — with the Delhi Government bearing the interest cost. That second option effectively turns a welfare transfer into a structured savings product.
Who qualifies for Lakshmi Yojana
The scheme targets women aged 21 to 60 years with up to three children and no criminal record. Applications are being accepted online at dly.delhi.gov.in. CM Gupta framed the initiative under the dual goals of financial security and women's empowerment, tagging it with the hashtags #SashaktNaariSamriddhDelhi — 'Empowered Women, Prosperous Delhi'.
The DBT-plus-savings model gaining ground in Indian states
India's state governments have increasingly moved beyond simple direct benefit transfers toward hybrid models that combine immediate liquidity with long-term wealth-building. The Lakshmi Yojana fits squarely into that pattern — the FD component nudges women toward financial inclusion in a way that a pure cash transfer does not. Whether uptake through the portal matches the ambition of the design will be the real test in the months ahead.
For Delhi's BJP government, the scheme also carries political weight: women voters in the capital have been a decisive bloc in recent cycles, and a named, branded programme with a portal and a launch date signals intent to deliver, not just announce.
The applications are open. The FDs are waiting. Now Delhi's women decide.