Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) under the aegis of Ministry of Rural Development and the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) signs MoU at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi. The MoU marks a strategic convergence to empower the women of Self-Help Groups through structured skilling, entrepreneurship development, and market-aligned livelihood interventions. This initiative will help build a rural India where women are at the center of economic transformation.
The MoU will remain in effect for three years, with a Joint Review Committee constituted for quarterly monitoring of progress and outcomes. By bridging institutional expertise with community-level mobilization, this MoU marks a bold step toward unlocking the economic potential of rural women and creating sustainable rural enterprises.
The partnership aims to bring together the grassroots mobilization and livelihood promotion expertise of MoRD with the skilling ecosystem and institutional capabilities of MSDE, aiming to strengthen rural livelihoods through tailored, market-oriented training and entrepreneurship support.
Highlights of the MoU:
- Customized training modules for SHG women based on emerging economic sectors, including digital and financial literacy, compliance, and market access.
- Delivery of Training of Trainers (ToT) programs and skilling of SHG cadres using institutions like JSS, RSETIs, NIESBUD, and NSTIs.
- Formal certification through the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) to recognize skills of SHG members.
- Integration of SHG skilling into District Skill Development Plans (DSDPs) via collaboration with District Skill Committees (DSCs).
- Joint outreach initiatives including livelihood fairs, awareness campaigns, and mentorship programs.
The MoU signing ceremony was graced by Minister for Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan along with Minister of State for Rural Development, Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, and Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Jayant Chaudhary. Secretary, MoRD, Shailesh Kumar Singh and Secretary, MSDE, Atul Kumar Tiwari along with other senior officials from both the Ministries were also present during the ceremony.
Addressing the ceremony, Chouhan said that this collaboration reinforces our commitment to transform rural women into confident entrepreneurs and together we are taking a step forward in truly realizing the vision of three crore Lakhpati Didis across rural India.
MoS (Rural Development) Dr. Pemmasani stated that this collaboration is an important step in realising our vision for an inclusive Viksit Bharat.
Setting the context, Jayant Chaudhary emphasized the convergence approach, stating, together we are aligning the skill development infrastructure with rural aspirations to ensure every woman has the opportunity to grow, earn, and lead.
The new website of the Ministry and the revamped website of the Department of Rural Development, developed under the Digital Brand Identity Manual (DBIM) was also launched during the ceremony by the Ministers. The newly launched portals aim to provide citizens with a unified, accessible, and user-friendly digital interface for rural development services and information.
