India's Lakhpati Didi initiative has reached 3.76 crore beneficiaries as of June 2026, according to a government factsheet released on Sunday, 15 November 2026. The Centre has set a target to create six crore rural women entrepreneurs under the programme by March 2029, nearly doubling the current count. The scheme is implemented under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).

What the IIM Ahmedabad Study Found

An independent assessment by the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad, covering 6,531 respondents across 17 states and union territories, documented significant income gains among programme participants. The study reported a 61% rise in average monthly household income and a 61.7% increase in average monthly savings within Lakhpati Didi households. These findings lend external credibility to the government's impact claims, though analysts note that survey-based income metrics can be difficult to verify at scale.

How the Programme Has Evolved

The initiative was launched on 15 August 2023 with an initial target of two crore beneficiaries drawn from self-help group (SHG) households. That target was revised upward to three crore in February 2024, and has since been raised further to six crore by March 2029. Official data shows that 5.70 crore women have been identified as potential Lakhpati Didis across the country, suggesting a substantial pipeline ahead of the deadline.

Who Qualifies as a Lakhpati Didi

Under the programme framework, a Lakhpati Didi is defined as a self-help group member whose household earns at least ₹1 lakh annually. This threshold is calculated on total household earnings — not individual income alone — and covers net revenue from both farm and non-farm activities after expenses. Crucially, the income must remain sustainable across agricultural seasons and business cycles, setting a higher bar than a one-time earnings milestone.

The DAY-NRLM Backbone

DAY-NRLM, originally launched in June 2011 to organise poor rural women into self-help groups, provides the institutional infrastructure for the scheme. As of 12 November 2026, the mission has mobilised approximately 10.13 crore SHG members into 94.40 lakh groups nationwide. These groups are further supported by Village Organisations and Cluster-Level Federations, allowing the Lakhpati Didi initiative to operate through existing community networks rather than a parallel delivery architecture.

What Comes Next

With 3.76 crore beneficiaries confirmed and 5.70 crore women already identified as potential participants, the government's pathway to the six crore target by March 2029 rests on converting that pipeline into verified, sustainable income earners. The pace of enrolment and third-party income verification will be closely watched as the programme enters its most ambitious phase.