UPSRLM connects rural women organised in self-help groups with finance, skills and markets. The collective model aims to turn regular savings into sustainable household incomes.
Self-Help Groups (SHGs) are increasingly becoming platforms for women to access financial resources, acquire new skills and connect their products and services to markets. (File photo)
New Delhi,Oct 22, 2026 15:21 IST
For many women in Uttar Pradesh’s villages, the journey towards financial independence begins with a small monthly saving in a Self-Help Group (SHG). The Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihoods Mission (UPSRLM) builds on this model by helping women organise into groups and connect with financial services, livelihood opportunities and markets.
The mission is the state arm of the national Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) and operates under the Rural Development Department.
The scale of the mission
According to a state government release dated September 2, 2026, Uttar Pradesh has more than 10.5 lakh self-help groups linked to nearly 1.25 crore rural families. The network also includes 65,544 Village Organisations and 3,298 Cluster-Level Federations, which connect individual groups and help coordinate their activities.
At the national level, DAY-NRLM had mobilised 10.05 crore women into around 90.87 lakh self-help groups by October 2024.
How the model works
The mission follows a model in which women first join self-help groups and develop a habit of regular savings. These savings can help them access bank credit and other institutional finance. The next step is to connect that credit with skills, production and market opportunities.
Village Organisations coordinate activities across groups, while Cluster-Level Federations provide a wider network to connect women with training and larger markets. The aim is to help women move beyond saving together towards building sustainable sources of income.
Where women earn their livelihoods
Women’s self-help groups are involved in a range of activities, including agriculture-linked work, animal husbandry, dairy, food processing, local products and services.
One example is the Vidyut Sakhi programme, under which women from self-help groups collect electricity bill payments. By mid-2025, around 30,000 women had registered under the programme, and 438 Vidyut Sakhis had achieved Lakhpati Didi status.
Linking housing with livelihoods
The government has also directed the mission to connect women beneficiaries of rural housing schemes, including Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin and Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana-Gramin, with self-help groups.
The approach seeks to link housing support with livelihood opportunities, helping families work towards both a secure home and a source of income.
Why the mission matters
The mission’s approach centres on collective action. By bringing women together, self-help groups can help them access savings, credit, training and market opportunities that may be harder to secure individually. However, access to capital, adequate training and reliable markets remains important to turning these opportunities into sustainable incomes.
- Ends