700 SHE-MARTs, 1,000 District Fulfilment Centres to be Set Up to Ensure 6 Crore Lakhpati Didis

📌 Summary:

• The Department of Rural Development proposes 700 SHE-MARTs, 1,000 District Fulfilment Centres and Centres of Excellence to support the goal of 6 crore Lakhpati Didis under DAY-NRLM
• Strategy centres on enterprise promotion, financial inclusion, capacity building, marketing and handholding for SHG members — transitioning women from livelihoods to community-owned, professionally managed enterprises with organised market access
• SHE-MARTs to be located in high-potential commercial sites with strong backward and forward market linkages
• Other measures: a unified national marketing identity "Saras Aajeevika"; a multi-vendor, omni-channel e-Saras portal; revised SARAS Mela guidelines; a Producer Group App; Jan Samarth Portal loan facilitation; and ONDC partnerships
• An expanded awards framework (Best Women Entrepreneur, Lakhpati Didi Award, Best Digitalization Initiative, etc.) to recognise SHG members

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS2 Governance & Social Justice — SHGs, women's economic empowerment and rural livelihoods.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• DAY-NRLM = Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission
• Lakhpati Didi: SHG women earning at least ₹1 lakh a year; target of 6 crore
• Saras Aajeevika / e-Saras / SARAS Mela — SHG marketing platforms
• ONDC = Open Network for Digital Commerce

🔑 Key Term: Lakhpati Didi — initiative to enable rural SHG women to earn a sustainable annual income of at least ₹1 lakh.