Union Minister for Rural Development, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan joined Lakhpati Didis, PMAY G beneficiaries and Self Help Group leaders from across the country at the Samriddh Didi se Samriddh Rashtra Republic Day Felicitation Ceremony 2026 held at the Bharat Ratna C Subramaniam Auditorium, Pusa, New Delhi. The event celebrated women led institutions and their decisive role in strengthening rural livelihoods and inclusive development on the path to Viksit Bharat.
Before the commencement of the programme, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, along with Dr Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, Minister of State for Rural Development and Communications, planted a sapling with SHG Didis, symbolising sustainability, collective effort and long term prosperity.
The Union Minister felicitated over 400 Lakhpati Didis, PMAY G beneficiaries and SHG leaders for their leadership in building strong community institutions, expanding livelihoods and driving social change at scale. Addressing the gathering, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that Republic Day is a celebration of the people and the inspiring journeys of women from Self Help Groups. He highlighted that a prosperous nation is built on prosperous women and reaffirmed that DAY NRLM has emerged as a powerful engine of credit access, livelihood creation and collective empowerment.
The Minister stated that India is progressing steadily from over two crore towards the target of three crore Lakhpati Didis. He emphasised gender equality, social transformation and the need to challenge discriminatory norms, referring to initiatives such as Ladli Lakshmi Yojana and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao. He urged SHG networks to further strengthen last mile delivery of government schemes, promote organic farming, expand market linkages and enable individual bank linkages to encourage entrepreneurship and self reliance. Calling for greater participation of women in grassroots leadership, he led a collective pledge towards women led rural development.
In his address, Dr Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani underlined that women’s empowerment is a national priority and women today are not just beneficiaries but key contributors to the economy. Sharing his experience from SARAS Mela in Guntur, he highlighted the entrepreneurial spirit of SHG women and noted that one in four MSMEs in India is now women led. He emphasised the role of DAY NRLM in creating market access, including through e commerce platforms, and in integrating rural women into value chains using digital tools.
Shri Shailesh Kumar Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, said that the programme reflected constitutional values and the aspiration for every woman to realise her full potential. He noted that SHG women have moved beyond savings and credit to livelihoods, leadership and social change, and that India’s progress is intrinsically linked with the progress of its Didis.
A special highlight of the event was the collective singing of Vande Mataram by Lakhpati Didis, PMAY G beneficiaries and SHG leaders, marking 150 years of the National Song. The unified rendition reflected pride, unity and reverence for the song that continues to inspire national resolve.
Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Dr Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani interacted with SHG women who shared journeys across diverse sectors including food processing, agriculture, livestock, weaving, banking, retail, printing, beauty services and non traditional enterprises such as JCB operations. Their experiences reflected increased incomes, financial independence, digital inclusion and leadership within SHG federations under DAY NRLM.
During the programme, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated 199 Community Managed Training Centres across the country. These centres will function as community led platforms for continuous learning, skill development and capacity building, further strengthening women led institutions at the grassroots.
The event concluded with a luncheon hosted by the Union Minister in honour of the Special Guests. As part of the Republic Day 2026 celebrations, the Ministry of Rural Development, in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence, is facilitating the participation of over 400 Special Guests under DAY NRLM and PMAY G. The guests will attend the Republic Day Parade at Kartavya Path on 26 January 2026 and participate in heritage visits on 27 January, reaffirming the collective commitment to constitutional values and a prosperous, resilient and Viksit Bharat.
