5
T
he Self Help Group Programme has been one of the most
successful initiatives for financial empowerment and
sustainable livelihoods in rural India. The comprehensive
approach of addressing savings and credit needs, as well
as enhancing earning capacity has seen significant success,
particularly for women who have been the largest beneficiaries.
The role of NABARD in scaling up this movement, and its support
to various stakeholders in their engagement with the rural
economy, has been truly commendable.
Looking ahead, we must focus on aligning the activities of the
SHGs to the changes taking place in the rural economy and
Smt Chanda Kochhar
MD & CEO, ICICI Bank
ensuring that the livelihood earning activities are oriented
towards areas of growing demand. At the same time, we must
keep in mind that technology is revolutionizing society and
economy, including the delivery of financial services. This is
true of both urban and rural India. Hence, we must leverage
technology to maximize the outreach and impact of initiatives
for rural empowerment.
We look forward to NABARD continuing to play a leadership role
in further scaling up financial and broader economic inclusion
in rural India and helping our rural economy to realise its full
potential.
