PM Modi Launches ‘Bihar Rajya Jeevika Nidhi’ to Empower Rural Women Entrepreneurs

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 2, 2025, launched the ‘Bihar Rajya Jeevika Nidhi’ Saakh Sahkari Sangh Limited, a pioneering initiative aimed at empowering rural women entrepreneurs across Bihar. The program, jointly implemented by the Government of India and the Bihar state government, seeks to provide affordable and timely financial assistance to women associated with Jeevika self-help groups (SHGs) by offering them access to larger loans at much lower interest rates compared to traditional microfinance institutions. The Jeevika Nidhi has been designed to ensure easy and fair credit access for SHG women entrepreneurs, many of whom previously paid exorbitant interest rates of 18–24% to private lenders.