~Five women entrepreneurs from Madhya Pradesh were honoured by NITI Aayog and Reliance Foundation under the RWKE programme, receiving Rs 1 lakh each for strengthening women-led rural kirana businesses.Mumbai.
New Delhi, July 23 (VNI): Five outstanding women kirana entrepreneurs from Madhya Pradesh were felicitated by the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) at NITI Aayog in partnership with Reliance Foundation under the Empowering Rural Women Kirana Entrepreneurs (RWKEs) ATR pilot programme. Each awardee received a grant of Rs 1 lakh in recognition of her entrepreneurial achievements.
The felicitation ceremony was attended by NITI Aayog Member Dr. Joram Aniya, WEP Mission Director Anna Roy, Reliance Foundation Chief – Women Empowerment Deepthi Nukalapati, and MicroSave Consulting Associate Partner Sonal Jaitly, along with the awardees and their family members. The women entrepreneurs shared their experiences and outlined plans to expand their businesses using the skills gained through the programme.
The RWKE initiative, launched by Reliance Foundation in partnership with WEP and implemented by MicroSave Consulting, aims to strengthen women-led kirana stores in the districts of Barwani, Vidisha and Raisen in Madhya Pradesh. The programme focuses on improving financial capability, digital adoption, market orientation and business planning to help rural women build sustainable enterprises.
Since its launch, the programme has delivered more than 1,200 hours of structured learning through over 175 training sessions across six blocks, benefiting 108 women entrepreneurs. Training in local languages has equipped participants with practical business skills, including budgeting, bookkeeping, inventory management, supplier linkages and enterprise growth planning.
The initiative highlights the increasing contribution of women-led kirana stores to rural economies and supply chains. By combining institutional support, technical expertise and on-ground implementation, the programme seeks to enhance business resilience, promote digital inclusion and strengthen the economic empowerment of rural women entrepreneurs. VNI NEWS, Women Entrepreneurs, NITI Aayog, Reliance Foundation, RWKE Programme, Rural Kirana Stores, Madhya Pradesh, Rural Development, Women Empowerment, Business Training, VNINews, VNINews.com