Women Entrepreneurship

Fuelling women’s entrepreneurial dreams

In 2023, Reliance Foundation and Gates Foundation came together to empower one million women entrepreneurs in several states in India, by strengthening women collectives, testing and scaling innovations, and establishing replicable models of entrepreneurship with women-led enterprises.

The Swayamshree programme aims to reach 10 lakh women across Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Odisha to enhance their household incomes up to a minimum of Rs. 1 lakh per annum. The programme is working in close collaboration with each of the State Rural Livelihood Missions and is being implemented by on-ground NGO implementation partners.

The programme, in collaboration with Reliance Foundation, the Gates Foundation and the MP State Rural Livelihood Mission, has empowered more than 3.8 lakh women in Madhya Pradesh towards becoming Lakhpati Didis.

As Swayamshree builds momentum in collaboration with the government, private sector, philanthropic, and grassroots partners, it is establishing a model for inclusive development to strengthen women’s livelihoods that is both impactful and replicable.