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Budget 2025-26: A Game Changer for Women’s Welfare and Empowerment

Published By : Admin | February 4, 2025 | 18:17 IST

The Union Budget 2025-26, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, reflects a strong commitment to women's welfare, economic empowerment, and social upliftment. With a record allocation of ₹4.49 lakh crore towards gender-specific initiatives, marking a 37% increase from last year, this budget sets the stage for greater financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, and employment for women​.

Strengthening Economic Participation: A Boost for Self-Help Groups

The National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) has been upgraded in the Gender Budget, reinforcing the government's focus on Self-Help Groups (SHGs) as drivers of economic change. This aligns with the Viksit Bharat Vision, which aims for 70% women participation in economic activities​.

Additionally, India Post is being repositioned as a logistics hub to support women entrepreneurs and SHGs, ensuring better access to financial and logistical support for rural women​.

Entrepreneurship and Financial Inclusion

A new scheme for first-time women entrepreneurs, along with SC/ST entrepreneurs, will provide term loans up to ₹2 crore in the next five years. This initiative, modeled on the successful Stand-Up India scheme, includes online capacity-building programs to enhance managerial skills​.

In a significant move, the government will introduce customized credit cards with a ₹5 lakh limit for micro-enterprises, enabling easier access to credit for women-led businesses​.

Healthcare and Nutrition: Investing in Women’s Well-being

  • Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0: Nutritional support for over 1 crore pregnant women and lactating mothers will be enhanced​.
  • Day Care Cancer Centres: 200 centers will be set up in district hospitals to improve women’s access to cancer treatment​.
  • PM Jan Arogya Yojana Expansion: Gig workers, including women on digital platforms, will now be covered under this health insurance scheme​.

Rural Prosperity and Skill Development

A comprehensive multi-sectoral program will focus on empowering rural women and young farmers, ensuring skilling and employment in agricultural and allied sectors​.

Moreover, National Centres of Excellence for Skilling will be set up to equip women with industry-relevant skills, ensuring better job opportunities​.

Infrastructure and Safety Measures

  • Urban Livelihoods Program: A new scheme for socio-economic upliftment of urban women workers will be launched​.
  • Women-Friendly Transport: The Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways have been included in the Gender Budget Statement for the first time, ensuring safer and more accessible transportation for women​.

A Vision for the Future

With a clear focus on economic participation, entrepreneurship, health, and safety, the Union Budget 2025-26 lays a strong foundation for women’s empowerment in India. As more ministries join the Gender Budget framework, the long-term impact on financial independence and social equity for women is expected to be transformative.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi Chairs Second High-Level Meeting with Secretaries of Government of India
July 28, 2026
Sectors discussed: Finance and Economy, Commerce and Industry, and Technology
PM emphasises the need to break both horizontal and vertical silos within the Government
PM emphasises the importance of technological self-reliance and building domestic capabilities in critical sectors
PM encourages greater participation of young innovators and entrepreneurs in cybersecurity ecosystem
PM Stresses Proactive Outreach on Strategic Sectors to Counter Misinformation
PM says Govt must always remain youthful, dynamic and forward-looking, continuously adapting to new challenges and opportunities with agility and innovation
Secretaries share experiences and perspectives on key initiatives, emerging opportunities and implementation challenges

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi chaired the second high-level meeting with Secretaries to the Government of India at his residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg earlier today. He reviewed the future action agenda of Ministries and Departments dealing with Finance and Economy, Commerce and Industry, and Technology sectors. The meeting focused on accelerating progress towards the goals of Viksit Bharat.

Prime Minister called for a strong focus on team building across Ministries and Departments, urging officers to work with a shared sense of purpose. He emphasised the need to break both horizontal and vertical silos within the Government so that departments function in close coordination and deliver integrated outcomes.

Highlighting the importance of citizen-centric governance, Prime Minister said that the people of India must remain at the centre of governance. He reminded that every decision and policy should be guided by the interests and aspirations of the common citizen.

Prime Minister stressed that while India is making significant investments in infrastructure, equal priority must be given to developing indigenous technologies. He underscored the importance of technological self-reliance and building domestic capabilities in critical sectors.

Prime Minister underlined that energy security is closely linked with national security, economic stability and citizens’ welfare. Prime Minister said India must achieve self-reliance in the energy sector through innovation, diversification and accelerated capacity creation.

Emphasising that reforms are not merely a fashionable term but a continuous necessity for effective governance, Prime Minister stressed the need to reform processes, improve work culture and strengthen institutional efficiency.

Prime Minister said that growing use of technology must be accompanied by a strong focus on cybersecurity to safeguard digital systems and infrastructure. He stressed the need for constant vigilance against emerging cyber threats. He called for encouraging greater participation of young innovators and entrepreneurs in the cybersecurity ecosystem and emphasised that it should evolve into a nationwide movement.

Prime Minister also emphasised the importance of proactive communication on strategic sectors where the country is undertaking major initiatives, to counter misinformation and unfounded fears surrounding such efforts.

Prime Minister says that new academic courses should be planned in partnership with industry to equip the workforce with skills required by emerging and future industries. He also observed that a government must always remain youthful, dynamic and forward-looking, continuously adapting to new challenges and opportunities with agility and innovation.

The meeting featured detailed discussions by Secretaries on the progress, priorities and implementation issues across their respective domains. The meeting was attended by the Cabinet Secretary, Secretaries of key Ministries and Departments, and senior officials from the Prime Minister’s Office.