Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday, June 12, 2026, shared a data-driven post on X crediting the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with significantly expanding women's economic participation — from rural self-help groups to formal enterprise registration and STEM education.

Context

The post was tagged #12YearsOfNariShakti, framing the statistics as milestones of the Modi government's tenure. Sitharaman cited four headline figures: over 10 crore rural women enrolled in self-help groups (SHGs), more than 3 crore women-led enterprises registered on the Udyam Portal, over ₹16 lakh crore in MUDRA loans disbursed, and more than 43 lakh women enrolled in STEM disciplines. The minister described women as 'shaping India's future' across segments ranging from self-help groups to startups.

Policy Backdrop

The three main instruments cited have distinct policy origins. The Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY), launched in April 2015, provides refinance support for collateral-free loans of up to ₹10 lakh to micro and non-corporate enterprises; women borrowers have consistently formed the majority of its beneficiary base. The Udyam Registration Portal, introduced in July 2020 by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, replaced an earlier system to simplify formalisation and improve data capture for small businesses.

SHG expansion has been driven largely through the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), which scaled village-level women's collectives focused on thrift, credit and livelihoods from 2011 onward. The NDA government subsequently deepened the programme's financial-linkage component, connecting SHGs to formal banking channels and government procurement networks.

Stakeholders and Impact

The figures, if borne out by official dashboards, represent a significant shift in the scale of women's formal economic engagement. Rural women in SHGs gain access to micro-credit, collective bargaining and livelihood training that were historically unavailable to them. Women-led enterprises on the Udyam Portal become eligible for MSME-linked benefits including priority-sector lending, government tenders and export incentives.

The STEM enrolment figure — 43 lakh-plus women — points to a parallel effort to raise female participation in higher education and the knowledge economy. Government scholarship programmes and institutional enrolment targets have been cited in official statements as drivers of this trend, though independent verification of the specific number remains pending.

What's Next

Policy watchers will look to the forthcoming Economic Survey and Union Budget for updated Udyam and MUDRA dashboards that can corroborate or refine the figures cited by the minister. Analysts expect the government to announce fresh targets or allocations for women-led enterprises as part of the broader push to raise female labour-force participation. The #12YearsOfNariShakti framing also signals that women's economic empowerment will remain a central campaign and governance narrative for the NDA heading into the next political cycle.