Meghalaya’s village women, organised through self‑help groups (SHGs), have moved beyond savings-and-credit schemes to become a driving force in the state’s economy-running enterprises, building value chains and reaching overseas markets. Between 2018 and today, SHG numbers have surged from about 5,984 to nearly 53,000, supported by state funding and bank linkages that have turned small community groups into formal producers and exporters.
The state government has backed the SHG expansion with roughly Rs 415 crore in community investment funds and about Rs 756 crore in credit linkages. In the past two years alone, women from SHGs have launched more than 40,000 village-level enterprises, a rapid growth that officials say is central to Meghalaya’s broader development goal of a $10 billion economy by 2028. The government has also set a target to help 10,000 SHG women each earn more than Rs 10 lakh a year by 2028.
Agricultural value chains illustrate the shift from subsistence to market orientation. Lakadong turmeric, prized for its high curcumin content, has moved from scattered cultivation to an organised value chain with improved seed material, local processing units and direct market access. Farmer incomes in that system have reportedly doubled, and over 13,000 women are now involved in the turmeric value chain. In Ri Bhoi district, producers shipped two metric tonnes of organic pineapples to Lulu Mall in Dubai-a consignment flagged off in Shillong in July 2025 by Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman-while GI‑tagged Khasi mandarins are also finding buyers abroad.
Traditional crafts and textiles are following the same trajectory. Ryndia silk woven by SHG‑linked women artisans was showcased at India’s Republic Day reception in Singapore, signalling growing international interest in Meghalaya handicrafts. Together, these developments show SHGs evolving from microfinance groups into integrated economic actors that link rural production to national and global markets.
While challenges remain-scaling quality control, logistics and sustained market access-the evidence on the ground points to a quiet economic transformation led by women at the village level, making them a core pillar of Meghalaya’s growth strategy through 2028.
Original Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/women-led-shgs-driving-meghalayas-quiet-economic-revolution/articleshow/130339666.cms
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Publish Date: 2026-04-17 23:14:00
