"Till 2014, less than Rs 25,000 crore loans were given to women self-help groups but in the last 10 years, Rs 9 lakh crore help was given," the PM said. Modi, who interacted with Lakhpati Didis at Jalgaon, released the Rs 2,500 crore revolving fund benefiting 48 lakh members of 4.3 lakh self-help groups.
The Lakhpati Didi scheme is not only about boosting the income of women, but also about empowering future generations, Modi said and added, "You must have heard that India is going to become the third-largest economy in the world. Women play a huge role in it. However, it wasn't the case a couple of years ago."
"Women guarantee the prosperity of every home and every family. However, there was no one to guarantee help for the women," he said and added that women didn't have property in their name, and if they had to take a loan from a bank, they could not avail it. In such a situation, they were not able to build their own small business.
"Therefore, I, your son and brother, resolved to ease your lives. We took decisions in the interest of women year after year," Modi said. "When I visited you during the Lok Sabha elections, I promised we would make 3 crore sisters Lakhpati Didi. This means women who work in Self Help Groups, and their annual income is more than one lakh rupees," he added.
In the last 10 years, one crore Lakhpati Didis were made, and in just two months 11 lakh more Lakhpati Didi were added to one crore, he said. PM Modi also said Maharashtra needs the BJP-led Mahayuti government to continue for years to come to ensure the state's stability and prosperity.
"Maharashtra is the shining star of a developed India. The future of the state lies in more investment and job growth," he said.