Dikhyaa Mohanty 
With nearly 9.36 lakh women now earning more than Rs 1 lakh yearly under the state’s “Lakhpati Didi” project, Odisha has taken the second place nationally in a historic step toward women’s economic empowerment. The program, which is being led by the Odisha government, is changing the economic situation for rural women by giving them the tools, resources, and chances they need to become financially independent.
The “Lakhpati Didi” project was started under the direction of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi with the goal of empowering women via market connections, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship. The program has been in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s goal of empowering women economically so they may play a significant role in the development of the country.
The story of Dipanjali Chotray, a native of Khordha district’s Kumbhilo village, is among the most noteworthy to come out of this program. Dipanjali’s family had financial difficulties prior to joining the Biswa Jagruti Self-Help Group (SHG) in 2021. Her husband had a tiny grocery shop and worked as a sharecropper, so their income hardly met their daily costs.
But all changed when Dipanjali joined the SHG program. She was given access to Rs 40,000 in seed money under the Prime Minister Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) credit program. She also obtained an additional loan of Rs 15,000 from the Federation at the Gram Panchayat Level. Equipped with these money, Dipanjali grew her grocery company and started selling traditional “Badi” (sun-dried lentil dumplings) and packaged spices at melas both locally and state-wide. As of right now, Dipanjali’s company makes Rs 2.16 lakh in net profit on an annual gross income of Rs 3.36 lakh.
Beyond the financial gains, the success has enabled her to invest in her children’s education and improve her family’s living standards. The success of Dipanjali and others like her highlights the transformative potential of the ‘Lakhpati Didi’ initiative.
