From Election-Wins to Self-Dependence: How Initiatives for Women in Tier 2 and 3 Cities are being Game-Changers

With the landslide victory of the NDA-led government in the 2025 Bihar state assembly elections, or as it has been in the previous elections that brought the victory to parties, one thing is clear - A specific focus is being given to the women entrepreneurs for their running enterprises or for them to start their own enterprises. 

Similarly, from startups to self-help groups, women are not just participating as a key driver of election results in India, but it is a talk-point possessing the potential of their participation in the economy with specifically in businesses. 

With a record Rs. 4.49 lakh crore earmarked for women’s welfare, it is a 37% increase from last year, when the government was focused on empowering women through entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, and skill development. The Bharat Women in Business & Aspirations Index (BWAI) 2025 reveals that 58% of women entrepreneurs in smaller towns aspire to upskill financially and managerially — signalling a new era of ambition powered by access, awareness, and opportunity.

One of the prominent sub-categories, the fintech-led initiatives, is also considering women from the T2 and T3 cities, currently, in India. Some of them that are proving to be the game-changers, from the elections to the start-up economy in general, not only by the government but also by the private entities like Tide and PayNearby.

Lakhpati Didi Scheme

Part of the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), the Lakhpati Didi Scheme, reportedly, aims to create two crore 'Lakhpati Didis' by 2029, but now, the target has been enhanced to three crores with rural women earning at least Rs. 1 lakh annually through self-employment and enterprise. The programme empowers women Self-Help Group (SHG) members to become entrepreneurs by facilitating access to credit, digital tools, and market linkages.

Under the scheme, women are said to be trained in diverse sectors such as dairy, tailoring, agriculture, and digital services, helping them turn micro-enterprises into sustainable income streams.  Under the Lakhpati Didi Initiative, as per Digital Sansad, over 1.44 lakh SHG members have been trained and deployed as Banking Correspondent Sakhis (BC Sakhis) to support financial inclusion, while the nationwide data on that is not present.

Support to Training and Employment Programme (STEP)

An initiative of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, STEP has a mission of providing skills training and capacity-building support to women, particularly from rural and marginalised communities.

The programme offers training across ten key sectors, including agriculture, handlooms, hospitality, and IT-enabled services, to help women gain employability and entrepreneurial skills. With a focus on digital and financial literacy, the initiative equips women to participate in the formal economy and explore entrepreneurship pathways. STEP not only supports women in earning livelihoods but also boosts their confidence and independence through skill ownership.

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY)

While PMAY's mission is to provide houses, the initiative has also been a contributing driver of women’s asset ownership and financial empowerment. By mandating the inclusion of a woman as a co-owner or primary owner in property documents, the scheme ensures that women gain access to collateral for credit, enhanced social security, and long-term wealth creation. As per the official data of the scheme, a total of 60 lakh houses are in various stages of construction, of which nearly 32 lakh houses have been completed. 

Out of these, and, as per a report by the PIB, over 75,000 houses have been sanctioned specifically for women, and over 125,000 houses have been sanctioned for women under PMAY-Urban 2.0. This asset-based empowerment, especially in Tier 2 and 3 regions, where owning property gives women financial credibility, can be seen as a stronger voice in household and community decision-making. However, the situation on the ground remains to be ascertained.

Udaan Chronicles

An advocacy and mentorship programme that comes under the Tide's financial education and empowerment initiative for small business owners, particularly women in semi-urban and rural India, can also be one of them. It focuses on equipping women entrepreneurs with practical knowledge in business management, credit systems, and digital financial tools.

Complementing this are programmes such as the Bharat Women Aspiration Index (BWAI) and the Local Role Model Programme, which together nurture a strong community of women entrepreneurs championing local growth and economic transformation.

Digital Naari Initiative

Under the fintech company, PayNearby’s, Digital Naari Program is a self-sustaining micro-entrepreneurial ecosystem that aims to empower women across the country with a secure platform to become banking and 'digital Didis' in their communities and ensure long-term livelihood for themselves. The mission is to build grassroots community influencers who drive awareness and improve access to essential services like banking, health, sanitation, insurance, and credit for other women in their areas. In the process, the Digital Naaris ensure stable income for themselves and their families.

Over 1.5 lakh women across more than 10,000 PIN codes have already been onboarded, facilitating over Rs. 10,000 crore in transactions annually, as per the company's data. More than 60% of these women are first-time entrepreneurs, earning Rs. 3,500 to Rs. 5,000 per month, creating a ripple effect of financial inclusion at the grassroots level. PayNearby has also partnered with State Rural Livelihood Missions (SRLMs), microfinance networks, and NGOs like UPSRLM, Rajeevika, and Grameen Foundation India to expand its reach.