Government Unveils ‘SHE-Marts’ to Create New Market Platforms for Rural Women Entrepreneurs

The Centre has announced a new initiative called “SHE-Marts” to create stronger market opportunities for rural women entrepreneurs and help women-led enterprises under the Self Help Group ecosystem reach consumers more effectively. The proposed Self Help Entrepreneur Marts are envisioned as structured retail spaces where products made by SHG members can be displayed and sold directly, giving rural women producers a more visible and reliable platform in the marketplace. The initiative is intended to strengthen market linkages, improve the visibility of locally made goods, reinforce SHG institutions, and support women entrepreneurs in expanding their businesses.

The government said the move is part of a broader effort to help women progress from credit-linked livelihood activities to full-fledged enterprise ownership. Under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission, the SHE-Marts initiative is expected to combine market access with capacity-building support so that rural women can build sustainable businesses rather than remain confined to small-scale subsistence activity. This marks a shift in policy emphasis from merely supporting livelihoods to enabling entrepreneurship and long-term enterprise growth among women in rural India.

According to the announcement, SHE-Marts will be set up as community-owned retail outlets within cluster-level federations and will be backed through enhanced and innovative financing instruments. The model is aimed at building shared commercial infrastructure within the SHG framework, allowing women entrepreneurs to access organized retail channels without bearing the full burden of setting up individual market spaces on their own. At the same time, the government clarified that no funds have been sanctioned or spent so far under the initiative.

The announcement was made by Minister of State for Rural Development Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on March 24, 2026. The proposed rollout of SHE-Marts reflects the government’s attempt to deepen the economic role of self-help groups by linking women’s collective enterprise more directly with consumers and formal markets, potentially opening a new chapter in rural women-led business development.

Reference: PIB