Srinagar: A three-day national consultative workshop on promoting women-led livestock and farm enterprises under the proposed SHE-LiFE (Self-Help Entrepreneurs in Livestock and Farm Enterprises) initiative began in Srinagar on Tuesday, bringing together representatives of rural livelihood missions from across the country.
The workshop, organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission (JKRLM) under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), is aimed at developing guidelines for strengthening women-led enterprises in rural India.
Addressing the inaugural session at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), Director Rural Livelihoods-I, DAY-NRLM, Ministry of Rural Development, Dr Rajeshwari S.M., said the mission was working to create a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem that would enable rural women to move beyond subsistence livelihoods and establish sustainable businesses.
She said DAY-NRLM has mobilised over 10.05 crore women into more than 94 lakh Self-Help Groups (SHGs), which have been federated into over five lakh Village Organisations and more than 34,000 Cluster-Level Federations across the country.
According to Dr Rajeshwari, the institutional network has facilitated bank credit exceeding ₹13.76 lakh crore while maintaining a non-performing asset rate below two per cent. More than ₹66,000 crore has also been provided as capitalisation support.
She said over 5.2 crore women farmers and more than 87 lakh women-led enterprises are already part of the rural livelihoods ecosystem. Under DAY-NRLM’s Vision 2031, the mission aims to transform rural households into entrepreneurial units through support in finance, skilling, mentorship, market access, technology and business development.
The workshop was attended by NRLM officials, representatives of State Rural Livelihood Missions from 28 states, members of the National Mission Management Unit and other stakeholders.
Deputy Director, NRLM, Raman Wadhwa presented the proposed framework for SHE-LiFE, which is envisaged for implementation from 2026 to 2031. He said the initiative aims to help rural women transition from livelihood activities to ownership of formal, market-linked and climate-resilient enterprises in livestock, dairy, agriculture, fisheries and allied sectors.
The framework proposes a portal-based selection process, phased capacity-building programmes, access to bank credit and convergence with schemes such as the National Livestock Mission, PM Matsya Sampada Yojana, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture, NABARD and MUDRA.
Wadhwa said a dedicated digital platform is also proposed to track entrepreneurs from selection and training to financing, enterprise establishment and market linkage.
Mission Director JKRLM Dr Shubhra Sharma said the proposed initiative marks a shift from basic livelihood support to structured enterprise development. She said SHE-LiFE seeks to transform community resource persons, including Krishi Sakhis and Pashu Sakhis, into entrepreneurs capable of running sustainable businesses.
She emphasised the need for stronger coordination among government departments, financial institutions and support agencies to create a conducive ecosystem for women entrepreneurs.
The first day of the workshop featured discussions on entrepreneur selection mechanisms, implementation strategies, financial assistance frameworks and funding processes. A separate plenary session brought together women entrepreneurs from different districts of Kashmir, who shared their experiences, challenges and business journeys.
The consultation, which concludes on September 24, is expected to generate recommendations from states, Union Territories, experts and field practitioners for framing comprehensive guidelines for the SHE-LiFE initiative.