Rural Ministry Partners with PCI India to Boost Women-Led Enterprises

The collaboration expands work that began in 2022 through the initiative "Leveraging Public Procurement for Women's Economic Empowerment," supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The Ministry of Rural Development has partnered with Project Concern International (PCI) India to expand business opportunities for women-led enterprises by helping Self-Help Group (SHG) businesses gain better access to government procurement and larger institutional markets. The collaboration is expected to strengthen enterprise development, improve market access and support rural women in building sustainable businesses.

The Ministry signed a non-financial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with PCI India under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM). The agreement, which will run from 2026 to 2029, was signed in the presence of Rural Development Secretary Rohit Kansal by Joint Secretary Swati Sharma and PCI India CEO and Country Director Indrajit Chaudhuri.

Building on an existing partnership

The collaboration expands work that began in 2022 through the initiative "Leveraging Public Procurement for Women's Economic Empowerment," supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The shared focus is to prepare women-led enterprises and SHG businesses to participate more effectively in government and institutional procurement by improving their business readiness, skills and market connections.

Since the MoU is non-financial, neither organisation will transfer funds to the other, with each partner covering the costs of its own activities throughout the three-year collaboration.

National support system for SHG enterprises

The major initiative under the partnership is the proposed establishment of a National Resource Cell (NRC), also referred to as the Public Procurement and Business Model Support Cell, within DAY-NRLM. PCI India will provide technical support to help the Cell guide State Rural Livelihood Missions (SRLMs) in creating stronger procurement-linked enterprise ecosystems.

The partnership will also develop enterprise incubation frameworks, standard operating procedures, operational toolkits and standardised training modules. Rural livelihood teams and SHG enterprises will receive practical guidance on Government e-Marketplace (GeM) registration, participating in tenders, maintaining quality standards, completing documentation and meeting procurement requirements.

Technical support across seven states

The first phase of technical assistance during the 2026-27 financial year will focus on Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The programme is also expected to expand learning opportunities for other states through national workshops, cross-state knowledge-sharing, enterprise opportunity mapping and the development of scalable procurement-based business models.

The collaboration will also encourage environmentally responsible business practices by promoting renewable energy integration, sustainable production methods and coordination with relevant government agencies.

Supporting women's economic empowerment

The Ministry said the agreement is an important step towards helping SHG enterprises secure greater participation in public procurement while building stronger, market-linked businesses that can grow over time. The partnership supports the objectives of DAY-NRLM and contributes to the national vision of creating 6 crore Lakhpati Didis through sustainable livelihood opportunities driven by entrepreneurship. It also aligns with India's broader goals under Viksit Bharat 2047, the Sustainable Development Goals and the country's Net Zero ambitions by encouraging inclusive and environmentally sustainable economic growth for rural women.