Bihar Rajya Jeevika Nidhi Saakh Sahkari Sangh Limited: A New Model for Women Empowerment in Rural Bihar.

Introduction

On 2nd September 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually launched the Bihar Rajya Jeevika Nidhi Saakh Sahkari Sangh Limited, a landmark initiative for rural women’s empowerment in Bihar. The scheme is a first-of-its-kind women-led cooperative financial institution, designed to provide affordable loans, reduce dependence on microfinance institutions (MFIs), and foster rural entrepreneurship.

This initiative is expected to transform the self-help group (SHG) ecosystem in Bihar, directly benefiting over 20 lakh rural women associated with the Jeevika programme.

Key Features of Bihar Rajya Jeevika Nidhi Saakh Sahkari Sangh Limited

• Affordable Loans for Women: Provides loans at lower interest rates compared to private MFIs that charge 18–24% interest.
• Digital First Model: Loan disbursal is fully digital with money transferred directly to women’s bank accounts. Over 12,000 community cadres are being equipped with tablets to ensure smooth operations.
• Massive Funding Support: The Union Government has approved ₹1,000 crore corpus, with ₹105 crore already transferred during the launch event.
• Women-Led Cooperative: Unlike traditional financial institutions, this is managed and run by women, ensuring financial inclusion and decision-making at the grassroots.
• Reduced Dependence on MFIs: Ensures rural women get transparent and cheaper access to credit.
• Focus on Rural Entrepreneurship: Loans can be used for agriculture, livestock rearing, handicrafts, small businesses, and other livelihood activities.
• Significance for Bihar and India
• Women Empowerment: Directly impacts 20 lakh rural women, strengthening their economic independence.
• Boost to Rural Economy: Facilitates growth of local enterprises and increases household income.
• Financial Inclusion: Aligns with the vision of Digital India and Atmanirbhar Bharat.
• Replicable Model: Sets an example for other states to establish women-led financial cooperatives.
• Support to SHG Movement: Builds upon Bihar’s Jeevika programme under Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (BRLPS).

Government’s Perspective

During the launch, PM Modi called the initiative a “very auspicious step for women empowerment in India’s development journey.” The Bihar government also emphasized that this is a historic milestone in cooperative federalism and rural livelihood promotion.

Conclusion

The Bihar Rajya Jeevika Nidhi Saakh Sahkari Sangh Limited is not just a financial cooperative—it is a transformational movement empowering rural women with credit, confidence, and control. By reducing dependence on high-interest loans and promoting women-led entrepreneurship, this initiative has the potential to reshape Bihar’s rural economy and inspire similar models across India.