Delhi Lakshmi Yojana: 3 lakh women register by 8 pm on Day 1
Synopsis
Within hours of its launch, the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana crossed 3 lakh registrations — a number that underscores both the scale of unmet demand and the political stakes of the scheme. With ₹2,500 a month on offer for nearly 17 lakh women and a built-in savings mechanism via CBDC wallets and RD/FD accounts, this is one of the most structurally ambitious women's welfare programmes Delhi has seen in recent years.
Key Takeaways
3,00,709 women registered on the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana portal by 8 pm on 4 August .
71,411 final applications were submitted in the same period; 52,175 had been submitted by 2 pm.
Eligible women will receive ₹2,500 per month , with a choice between a CBDC wallet + RD/FD split or full RD/FD deposit.
A digital negative list restricts CBDC wallet spending on alcohol, tobacco, narcotics, and gambling.
The scheme is expected to benefit nearly 17 lakh women over an initial period of three years .
The portal was launched on 2 August ; over 33,730 registrations were recorded within the first 12 hours.
The Delhi Lakshmi Yojana drew a massive first-day response on Tuesday, 4 August, with registrations on the scheme's official portal crossing the 3 lakh mark by 8 pm, according to an official statement. A total of 3,00,709 women had registered and 71,411 had submitted their final applications by that hour.
How Registration Surged Through the Day
The uptake accelerated steadily across the day. By 2 pm, 2.65 lakh women had registered on the portal and 52,175 had submitted their forms — figures that climbed sharply in the following six hours. Notably, within the first 12 hours of the portal going live, more than 33,730 registrations were recorded and 1,940 final applications were submitted, signalling strong grassroots demand from the outset.
What the Scheme Offers
Under the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana, eligible women will receive financial assistance of ₹2,500 every month. Beneficiaries can choose between two disbursement structures. Under the first option, ₹1,000 per month is credited to a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) wallet for daily expenses, while the remaining ₹1,500 is deposited into a recurring deposit or fixed deposit (RD/FD) account. Under the second option, the entire ₹2,500 is deposited monthly into an RD/FD, enabling beneficiaries to build long-term savings with interest.
A digital negative list will govern the CBDC wallet, restricting spending on alcohol, tobacco, narcotics, lottery tickets, gambling, and betting — ensuring assistance is directed toward essential household needs.
What the Government Said
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the scheme goes 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,' she stated. She added that the Delhi Cabinet had originally approved the scheme as the Mahila Samriddhi Yojana, before it was renamed Delhi Lakshmi Yojana to better reflect its vision of women's dignity, prosperity, and economic empowerment.
Scale and Timeline
The scheme was officially launched by Chief Minister Gupta on Saturday, 2 August, alongside the inauguration of the online registration portal at www.dly.delhi.gov.in. It will initially run for a period of three years and is expected to benefit nearly 17 lakh women across Delhi. The dual-option financial structure — combining immediate liquidity with forced savings — marks a structural departure from conventional direct-benefit transfer models seen in other states.
With registrations already past the 3 lakh mark within days of launch, the government's ability to process applications and disburse funds at scale will be the next critical test of the scheme's delivery mechanism.
Point of View
Which is keen to consolidate its standing among women voters after wresting the capital from the Aam Aadmi Party. The dual-option disbursement model — blending CBDC wallets with forced savings — is genuinely novel, but the harder question is whether the delivery infrastructure can absorb 17 lakh beneficiaries without the leakages and delays that have plagued similar schemes elsewhere. The negative list on CBDC spending is a paternalistic design choice that merits scrutiny: it assumes the state is better placed than beneficiaries to define 'essential' expenditure. Registration numbers tell you about demand; disbursement numbers, six months from now, will tell you about governance.
NationPress
5 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana?
The Delhi Lakshmi Yojana is a women's financial assistance scheme launched by the Delhi government on 2 August 2025, offering eligible women ₹2,500 per month. It is designed to combine immediate financial support with long-term savings through CBDC wallets and RD/FD accounts, and is expected to benefit nearly 17 lakh women over three years.
How many women registered for Delhi Lakshmi Yojana on the first day?
By 8 pm on 4 August, a total of 3,00,709 women had registered on the portal and 71,411 had submitted their final applications. Within the first 12 hours of the portal going live, over 33,730 registrations were recorded.
How will the ₹2,500 monthly assistance be disbursed?
Beneficiaries can choose between two options: the first credits ₹1,000 to a CBDC wallet for daily expenses and deposits ₹1,500 in an RD/FD account; the second deposits the full ₹2,500 in an RD/FD account each month to build long-term savings with interest.
What restrictions apply to the CBDC wallet under the scheme?
A digital negative list governs the CBDC wallet, barring spending on alcohol, tobacco, narcotics, lottery tickets, gambling, and betting. The restriction is intended to ensure government assistance is used for essential household needs.
Who is eligible and how can women apply for Delhi Lakshmi Yojana?
The scheme targets women residents of Delhi, with the government expecting nearly 17 lakh beneficiaries. Applications can be submitted through the official online registration portal at www.dly.delhi.gov.in, which was inaugurated by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on 2 August.
