14 January 2026·PIB

Ministry of Rural Development Launches National Campaign on Entrepreneurship

In this note

1. At a Glance

National Campaign on Entrepreneurship is a flagship rural-women enterprise-promotion drive under DAY-NRLM, launched by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) with the tagline "Promoting Rural Women Entrepreneurship – Har Ghar Udyam, Har Gaon Samriddh" [1][2].
Twin targets: training 50,000 Community Resource Persons-Enterprise Promotion (CRP-EPs) and imparting Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) training to 50 lakh SHG members [1][2].
UPSC salience: convergence of rural livelihoods, women empowerment, non-farm sector, SHG ecosystem, Lakhpati Didi mission — examinable across GS-II (welfare schemes) and GS-III (economy/employment).

Launched on 14 January 2026 (some sources cite 12 Jan 2026 internal launch) by the Additional Secretary (Rural Development) as a nationwide push under DAY-NRLM [1][2].
Forms part of the Centre's accelerated push toward the 3 crore Lakhpati Didi target [2][4].

DAY-NRLM restructured from the erstwhile Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) in 2011; renamed Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–NRLM in 2015 [5].
Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP) introduced as a sub-scheme of NRLM in 2016 to develop non-farm rural enterprises and create the CRP-EP cadre [3][5].
Lakhpati Didi initiative announced by PM in Independence Day 2023 address; target raised from 2 crore to 3 crore in interim Budget 2024 [4].
The 2026 campaign scales up the CRP-EP model nationally, moving from ~2,000 CRP-EPs (2020) to a target of 50,000 [3][1].

Implementing Ministry: Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) [1].
Parent scheme: Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) [1].
Tagline: Har Ghar Udyam, Har Gaon Samriddh [1][2].
Targets: 50,000 CRP-EPs trained; 50 lakh SHG members to receive EDP training [1][2].
Knowledge partner: Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), Ahmedabad [6].
DAY-NRLM scale: 10.05 crore women mobilised into 90.86 lakh SHGs (as of 30 June 2024); >1 crore Lakhpati Didis already [4].
Lakhpati Didi: SHG woman earning ≥ ₹1 lakh/annum sustained income [4].
SVEP launch year: 2016 [3].

Economic

Targets non-farm rural enterprise diversification — critical given farm-sector saturation and disguised unemployment [1].
Builds grassroots business development services (BDS) through CRP-EP cadre, lowering entry barriers for micro-enterprises [3].

Social / Gender

Exclusively channels through women-led SHGs — advances SDG-5 (gender equality) and SDG-8 [1][2].
Strengthens Cluster Level Federations (CLFs) for collective bargaining and market linkage [2].

Administrative

Uses a cascade training model: master trainers → CRP-EPs → SHG entrepreneurs — leveraging existing NRLM architecture rather than parallel bureaucracy [1][3].
Convergence with MUDRA, Stand-Up India, PMEGP, Skill India ecosystem implied for credit + market access [6].

Governance / Federal

DAY-NRLM is Centrally Sponsored (60:40 funding; 90:10 for NE & Himalayan states); State Rural Livelihood Missions (SRLMs) execute [5].

14 Jan 2026 — National Campaign formally launched by MoRD [1].
2024 — Lakhpati Didi target enhanced to 3 crore in interim Union Budget [4].
June 2024 — DAY-NRLM crosses 10.05 crore women / 90.86 lakh SHGs [4].
2025 — Expansion of CRP-EP certification under SVEP across SRLMs [6].

National Campaign on Entrepreneurship is launched under DAY-NRLM, not under Skill India [1].
Tagline: "Har Ghar Udyam, Har Gaon Samriddh" [1].
Targets 50,000 CRP-EPs and 50 lakh SHG members [1].
Implementing ministry: Ministry of Rural Development (not MSDE, not MSME) [1].
SVEP is a sub-scheme of NRLM launched in 2016 [3].
DAY-NRLM launched in 2011 (as NRLM); renamed in 2015 [5].
Lakhpati Didi = SHG woman with annual income ≥ ₹1 lakh; target = 3 crore [4].
DAY-NRLM SHG count: 90.86 lakh SHGs mobilising 10.05 crore women (Jun 2024) [4].
EDII Ahmedabad is a knowledge partner for entrepreneurship training [6].
CRP-EP = Community Resource Person–Enterprise Promotion, a local cadre [3].
DAY-NRLM funding pattern: 60:40 Centre-State (90:10 for NE/Himalayan) [5].
Predecessor of NRLM: Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) [5].

GS-II: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections — women, rural poor; government policies for development.
GS-III: Indian economy — inclusive growth, employment, mobilisation of resources; non-farm rural economy.
Possible stems: 1. "Rural women entrepreneurship is the new frontier of India's inclusive growth story." Examine in light of DAY-NRLM's National Campaign on Entrepreneurship. 2. Discuss the role of community cadres like CRP-EPs in scaling rural non-farm enterprises. What institutional bottlenecks remain? 3. Critically evaluate the Lakhpati Didi initiative as a livelihoods strategy vis-à-vis income-transfer schemes.

DAY-NRLM architecture (SHG–VO–CLF) — parent framework.
Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP) — direct ancestor of the campaign.
Lakhpati Didi & Drone Didi schemes — convergent women-livelihoods push.
PM Vishwakarma, PMEGP, MUDRA, Stand-Up India — credit/skill complements.
National Rural Economic Transformation Project (NRETP) — World Bank-aided extension of NRLM.
Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) model — comparative SHG-enterprise pathway.
Niti Aayog's Multidimensional Poverty Index — outcome metric.
Article 243G & 11th Schedule — Panchayat role in rural livelihoods.

Confusing campaign ministry with MSDE or MSME — it is MoRD.
Treating Lakhpati Didi as a separate scheme — it is an outcome/output of DAY-NRLM, not an independent scheme [4].
Mixing SVEP (2016, NRLM sub-scheme) with Startup India (2016, DPIIT) — entirely different.
Mis-stating the cadre acronym: it is CRP-EP (Enterprise Promotion), distinct from generic CRP in NRLM.
Quoting wrong SHG numbers — current figure is ~90.86 lakh SHGs / 10.05 cr women (Jun 2024) [4].