India’s rural models are shaping development diplomacy

When India launched the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) in 2011, under the Ministry of Rural Development, it did so with an ambitious objective: to tackle multidimensional poverty by enabling rural households to access gainful employment and sustainable livelihoods through self-employment, financial inclusion, and learning new skills.

Now, 15 years later, the programme’s scale, endurance, and outcomes have exceeded even its early champions’ expectations. Over 20 million women members of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) earn over ₹1,00,000 in income, and women banking correspondents are present in over 60% of local governments. Further, over 50 million women have accessed bank credit, boosting female labour force participation since 2018.