Udaipur Hosts National Conference on Agri & Livestock Entrepreneurship; Empowered Women Key to a Developed India: Minister

Udaipur, Nov 2025 — Rajasthan’s Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Dr. Kirodi Lal Meena on Tuesday inaugurated a three-day National Conference on Agriculture and Livestock Entrepreneurship in Udaipur. The event has been jointly organised by Rajeevika (Rajasthan Grameen Aajeevika Vikas Parishad), the Union Ministry of Rural Development, and the Rajasthan Rural Development Department. Experts, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and members of self-help groups (SHGs) from across the country are participating to discuss new avenues for rural livelihoods through agriculture, livestock, and entrepreneurship.

Speaking at the workshop, Dr. Meena said that both the Central and State Governments are continuously working towards women’s empowerment. He noted that Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma has delivered a strong message by handing over the leadership of Rural Development and Rajeevika to women officers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Lakhpati Didi programme, he said, is a significant step toward empowering women nationwide. India’s vision of becoming a developed nation by 2047 can be achieved only through strong women-led development, he stressed.

Dr. Meena highlighted that Rajeevika aims to empower women socially and economically by forming SHGs. In Rajasthan, 50.69 lakh rural families have been linked through 4.25 lakh SHGs, 31,000 village organisations, and 1,074 Cluster Level Federations (CLFs), providing financial assistance and training opportunities. Around 39.38 lakh families are engaged in agriculture and livestock-based livelihoods. Rajeevika has provided ₹2,099.95 crore for livelihood promotion and facilitated over ₹10,342.96 crore in bank loans for SHG women. He added that platforms like GeM, Amazon, Flipkart, and e-Saras are helping SHG women expand online marketing and sales of rural products.

He informed that 7,037 women business correspondents are now providing door-step banking services in villages, while 254 canteens at district and block headquarters are being run by Rajeevika women. More than 54,000 women-owned enterprises—such as tailoring units, beauty parlours, spice units, handicraft shops, grocery stores, and women’s boutiques—have been established. Additionally, the newly formed Hadouti Mahila Farmer Producer Company Ltd., created with an investment of ₹17.39 crore, is benefiting 18,345 farmers by developing soybean and coriander value chains.

To support agriculture, livestock, and non-farm activities, 3,366 producer groups have been formed, connecting 1.89 lakh families. Retail stores have also been opened in Jaipur, Churu, Sri Ganganagar, Udaipur, Ajmer, Alwar, Dungarpur, Rajsamand, Jodhpur and Kota to boost SHG product sales.

Under the Lakhpati Didi Yojana, 796 master trainers have been trained so far, who have in turn trained 19.45 lakh CRPs. At present, 11.02 lakh women have received Lakhpati Didi training. Through Rajasthan Mahila Nidhi, 1,25,786 women from 39,118 SHGs have been provided loans amounting to ₹555.77 crore. All project implementation work at the village level under Rajeevika is done by women, known as community cadres.

SHGs a Lifeline for Tribal Areas

Dr. Meena noted that indigenous areas face challenges such as limited farmland and underdeveloped livestock sectors, forcing families to migrate for work. In such regions, the SHG model is a boon. He called upon officials across Rajasthan and India to form more SHGs in tribal regions and help make women self-reliant.

Udaipur MP Dr. Mannalal Rawat said that the essence of Antyodaya is to uplift the last person in the line, and the Lakhpati Didi programme embodies this spirit. Senior officials including Additional Chief Secretary Shreya Guha, Joint Secretary Swati Sharma, Rajeevika State Mission Director Neha Giri, and Indian Bank MD Shivbajarang Singh were present.

Book Launch, Portal Unveiled

A booklet showcasing success stories from the Lakhpati Didi programme was released, and a new portal for SHG women was launched.

MoU Signed

An MoU was signed between Indian Bank and Rajeevika to support SHG women. The agreement was signed by Neha Giri on behalf of Rajeevika and MD Shivbajarang Singh on behalf of Indian Bank.

Debates on Innovation and Progress

After the inaugural ceremony, presentations were held on “Transforming Rural Economy through Livestock Sector” and “Expanding Rural Enterprises: From Producer Collective to Business Collective.”