Delhi Lakshmi Yojana: 2.65 lakh women register, 52,175 submit forms by Day 3
Synopsis
Within days of launch, Delhi Lakshmi Yojana has drawn over 2.65 lakh registrations — a pace that suggests the ₹2,500 monthly benefit is resonating. What sets it apart from standard cash-transfer schemes is its dual-track design: a CBDC wallet for daily use and a mandatory savings component, making it one of the more structurally ambitious women's welfare programmes any Indian state has attempted.
Key Takeaways
More than 2.65 lakh women registered for Delhi Lakshmi Yojana by 2 pm on Tuesday , with 52,175 final applications submitted.
Eligible women receive ₹2,500 per month , split between a CBDC wallet and an RD/FD savings account , or fully deposited into savings.
The scheme was launched on 2 August 2025 by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta ; over 33,730 registered within the first 12 hours .
Originally approved as Mahila Samriddhi Yojana , the scheme was renamed Delhi Lakshmi Yojana to reflect its empowerment focus.
The programme targets nearly 17 lakh women over an initial run of three years .
A digital negative list bars CBDC wallet spending on alcohol, tobacco, narcotics, gambling, and lottery tickets.
The Delhi Lakshmi Yojana recorded a sharp surge in uptake on Tuesday, 5 August 2025, with more than 2.65 lakh women registered to avail benefits and 52,175 submitting final applications by 2 pm, according to an official statement. The figures mark a significant jump from the 2.38 lakh registrations and 38,076 final submissions logged as of 7 am the same day.
How the Scheme Works
Under the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana, eligible women receive ₹2,500 every month, with two distinct disbursement options. Under the first option, ₹1,000 is credited monthly to a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) wallet for daily expenses, while the remaining ₹1,500 goes into a recurring deposit or fixed deposit account. The second option allows beneficiaries to deposit the entire ₹2,500 into an RD or FD each month, building long-term savings along with interest.
Notably, the CBDC wallet will carry a digital negative list, barring expenditure on alcohol, tobacco, narcotics, lottery tickets, gambling, and betting — a design feature Chief Minister Rekha Gupta says ensures the assistance is directed toward essential household needs.
What the Chief Minister Said
'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,' Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said. She added that the scheme has been deliberately designed to differ from conventional cash-transfer programmes by embedding a savings and digital-finance layer.
Gupta also noted that the Delhi Cabinet had originally approved the initiative as the Mahila Samriddhi Yojana, before it was renamed Delhi Lakshmi Yojana to better reflect its broader vision of women's dignity, prosperity, and economic empowerment.
Launch and Early Response
The scheme was officially launched on Saturday, 2 August 2025, when Gupta also inaugurated the online registration portal at dly.delhi.gov.in. Within 12 hours of the portal going live, more than 33,730 women had registered, and 1,940 final applications were submitted during that initial window alone — signalling strong early demand.
Scale and Scope
The scheme is set to run for an initial period of three years and is expected to benefit nearly 17 lakh women across New Delhi. Officials describe it as one of the more structurally differentiated women's welfare programmes in the country, combining immediate financial relief with a push toward digital financial inclusion and long-term savings behaviour. Whether the enrolment momentum translates into sustained participation over the three-year window will be closely watched.
Point of View
But registration velocity and actual sustained participation are two different metrics — and Indian welfare programmes have a history of front-loaded sign-ups that plateau. The CBDC wallet with a negative list is the genuinely novel element here: it attempts to solve the age-old leakage problem in cash transfers by restricting spending categories at the infrastructure level, not through audits after the fact. Whether the Reserve Bank of India's CBDC infrastructure can handle 17 lakh active wallets without friction will be the real stress test. The renaming from Mahila Samriddhi Yojana to Delhi Lakshmi Yojana also signals a deliberate political rebranding — one worth tracking as Delhi heads into its next electoral cycle.
NationPress
5 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana?
The Delhi Lakshmi Yojana is a women's welfare scheme launched by the Delhi government on 2 August 2025, offering eligible women ₹2,500 per month through a combination of a CBDC digital wallet and a recurring or fixed deposit savings account. It is expected to benefit nearly 17 lakh women over an initial three-year period.
How can women apply for the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana?
Women can register and submit their final applications through the official online portal at dly.delhi.gov.in. As of Tuesday afternoon, over 2.65 lakh women had registered and 52,175 had completed their final applications.
What are the two payment options under the scheme?
Under the first option, ₹1,000 is credited monthly to a CBDC wallet for daily expenses and ₹1,500 goes into an RD or FD account. Under the second option, the full ₹2,500 is deposited into an RD or FD each month, enabling larger long-term savings with interest.
What restrictions apply to the CBDC wallet under Delhi Lakshmi Yojana?
A digital negative list bars wallet spending on alcohol, tobacco, narcotic substances, lottery tickets, gambling, and betting. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the restriction ensures government assistance is used exclusively for essential household needs.
Why was the scheme renamed from Mahila Samriddhi Yojana to Delhi Lakshmi Yojana?
The Delhi Cabinet originally approved the programme as Mahila Samriddhi Yojana. It was subsequently renamed Delhi Lakshmi Yojana, according to Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, to better reflect the scheme's broader vision of women's dignity, prosperity, and economic empowerment.
