President Murmu calls for elevating self-help groups to millionaire status

President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday advocated for scaling up women self-help groups from their current status to generate substantial wealth, addressing attendees at the Saras Mela in Vijayawada. Speaking at the event, Murmu emphasised the potential for these grassroots organisations to evolve into enterprises capable of generating significant income for their members.

The President noted that more than 10 crore women have enrolled in self-help groups across India during the past 12 years, representing a significant expansion of financial inclusion and economic participation at the grassroots level. This expansion reflects growing efforts to empower rural and semi-urban women through collective economic initiatives.

Murmu's remarks underscore the government's focus on transforming informal economic structures into sustainable wealth-generation platforms. The push to elevate these groups comes as policymakers seek to extend economic opportunities beyond subsistence-level activities, enabling members to accumulate substantial personal wealth.

Self-help groups have traditionally served as platforms for women to access microfinance, skill development, and collective savings. Murmu's call suggests an ambition to expand their scope and impact, positioning them as vehicles for broader economic advancement within communities across South and Southeast Asia's demographic landscape.