Community-embedded women enterprise-support cadres called Sukshma Udyam Sakhis are being trained and deployed across all 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh to support women-led non-farm enterprises at the grassroots level. This DAY-NRLM initiative, supported by Development Alternatives and operationalised through UPSRLM, aims to build a cadre of 13,000+ Sakhis to help achieve the state's goal of enabling 6.5 lakh women-led enterprises.
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Sukshma Udyam Sakhis during the 7-day residential capacity building program at SIRD, Lucknow
On 31 May 2025, the 7-day residential training program for Sukshma Udyam Sakhis concluded at the State Institute for Rural Development (SIRD), Lucknow, marking a significant milestone in what is shaping up to be one of Uttar Pradesh's most consequential rural entrepreneurship initiatives.
The 132 participating Sukshma Udyam Sakhis will now move into 8 days of field-level practical work and exposure, followed by business plan presentations and certification - completing a rigorous 15-day capacity building journey under the DAY-NRLM's MoRD-MSME convergence initiative.
From Innovation to Mainstreaming
What makes this moment particularly significant is the institutional architecture being built around it. The Sukshma Udyam Sakhi policy which envisions training over 13,000 women enterprise-support cadres across all 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh is being operationalised through Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission (UPSRLM) and is supported by Development Alternatives with a replicable framework.
Anchored within the SHG-CLF structure, each Sukshma Udyam Sakhi will support women in launching and sustaining non-farm enterprises at the community level. With 4 Sakhis designated per Cluster Level Federation, the model ensures last-mile enterprise support is institutionally embedded. The 15-day program covers the full spectrum of enterprise promotion competencies such as unlocking entrepreneurial aspirations, skill building, market linkages, digital marketing etc.
Community Cadres as the Cornerstone
Sukshma Udyam Sakhis are not external consultants, they are women from within rural communities, trained to become trusted anchors of the local entrepreneurship ecosystem. Their presence is designed to catalyse women-led enterprise development and build a durable culture of self-reliance across rural Uttar Pradesh.
With the state's ambition of enabling 6.5 lakh women-led enterprises in Uttar Pradesh, the Sukshma Udyam Sakhi cadre is poised to become a core pillar of delivery bridging the gap between policy intent and grassroots reality.
Participants of the State Level Training of Trainers program engage in hands-on learning. The 132 Sukshma Udyam Sakhis will now transition to 8 days of field-level practical exposure
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