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Under the aegis of Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihoods Mission (UPSRLM), the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow will incubate rural women-run startups and enterprises in the state.
Under this programme, nearly 150 women-led rural enterprises will receive structured incubation support from IIM Lucknow for a period of 18 months.
The best-performing enterprises will get grants and interest-free loan facilities, enabling women entrepreneurs to transform their skills into viable business opportunities.
Fronted by the IIM Lucknow Enterprise Incubation Centre (IIML-EIC), the incubation aligns with the flagship ‘Lakhpati Didi’ scheme that supports self-employment and employment opportunities among rural women in Uttar Pradesh (UP).
IIML-EIC provides strategic guidance, mentoring, funding, and resources to early-stage entrepreneurs for commercialisation and scaling-up of their technology or product.
UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said the programme will not only boost women entrepreneurship, but foster the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat.
He said enterprising rural women will have an exposure to the expertise of IIM Lucknow, corporate discipline, and a better understanding of markets.
“This initiative is a convergence of good governance and social justice, and it can serve as a model for other states as well,” Maurya added.
The programme has been approved by the Union Ministry of Rural Development under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
The collaboration is expected to play a significant role in taking rural women’s entrepreneurship in UP to the national stage.
UPSRLM Director Arun Kumar has called upon women self-help groups (SHGs) to avail the scheme through an online application process. The shortlisted enterprises will be developed as model enterprises at the district level.
By offering institutional support, management training, and market opportunities, this initiative will open fresh vistas of self-reliance for the women entrepreneurs.
Over 50 per cent of the startups in UP are led by women officiating as founders or co-founders.
Moreover, the procurement by government departments from women entrepreneurs in UP soared to ₹4,755 crore in the financial year 2025-26. The procurement from the state’s women-led enterprises surged by ₹1,455 crore at 44 per cent against ₹3,310 crore in the previous financial year 2024-25.
These procurements were transacted online through the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal.
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