“Navigating the Government Connect: Unlock Grants, Subsidies, Policy Alignment & Zero-Cost Growth Opportunities”
Budget 2025-26:
MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEMAND NO. 87
Department of Rural Development
N - S RLM : Mahila Kisan Sashkitikaran Pariyojna (MKSP) is one of the Sub Scheme of DAY-NRLM. It seeks to strengthen the existing agriculture based livelihoods of the poor and participation of women in agriculture and improve productivity.
Excellent pick, Mukesh ji! The Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojna (MKSP) is like the hidden gem within the DAY-NRLM umbrella. It’s where women become not just workers, but decision-makers and change agents in agriculture.
Let’s decode it startup-style, as part of our ongoing "Navigating the Government Connect" series:
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🟪 Navigating the Government Connect
🔸 Budget 2025–26 | Ministry of Rural Development
Sub-Scheme: Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojna (MKSP) under DAY-NRLM
Core Purpose: Empowering women farmers with training, inputs, market access, and climate-smart practices to boost agri-livelihoods.
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1️⃣ Budget Intent – What MKSP Covers
• Strengthens existing livelihoods of rural women engaged in agriculture.
• Improves agricultural productivity through sustainable, low-input models.
• Builds capacity on soil health, water conservation, seed saving, NPM, value addition.
• Promotes women’s ownership of land, tools, decisions.
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2️⃣ Key Analytical Insights
1. Women = 60–80% of food producers in India, but less than 13% own land. 👩🌾
2. MKSP flips the script: It recognizes women as "Kisans", not just "kitchen support".
3. Most interventions (natural farming, water-use efficiency, seed banks) are climate-resilient.
4. MKSP integrates with other verticals – like PMKSY, MGNREGA, Mission Shakti, etc.
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3️⃣ Beneficiary Snapshot
Category Numbers (Approx.) Support Type
Mahila Kisans (direct) 36 lakh+ Technical trainings, seeds, demos, tools
Community Resource Persons – Agri (Krishi Sakhis) 15,000+ Training + Honorarium-based outreach
Producer Groups/Companies 800+ Backward + forward linkages, aggregation
SHG Federations 5,000+ Agri-nutrition gardens, seed banks, crop planning
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4️⃣ Startup Opportunities: From Farm to Platform 🚀
Focus Startup Idea Value Proposition
🌾 Productivity Boost BeejSaheli – Seed sovereignty toolkit: native seed kits + training + digital library Niche, low-cost model with community support
📲 Advisory Access AgriBai – Vernacular voice-bot to assist women farmers on irrigation, pests, & soil health Gender-sensitive, offline-compatible
📦 Value Addition MahilaMitra Foods – Cloud kitchen + SHG agro-processing of millet mixes, pickles Low-tech, high-employment
📉 Climate Risk KisanRaksha – WhatsApp-based climate alerts + crop advisories for rainfed women farmers Easy-to-scale, SRLM friendly
🪴 Kitchen Garden Kits PoshanGhar – Urban-rural NGO-CSR convergence for backyard nutrition gardens Great for school tie-ups & SDG2
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5️⃣ Government Levers to Leverage
Scheme What You Get
MKSP Grants Funding for pilots via SRLMs
DAY-NRLM SRLM Funds Access to community institutions (CLFs, VOs)
Convergence with MGNREGA Can propose livelihood asset creation
FPO promotion funds Handhold SHG collectives into Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs)
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6️⃣ FOMO Triggers 🔔
• 🔔 Most “agri-tech for women” solutions are urban-designed. MKSP demands rural-led, women-centric, and barefoot-friendly tech.
• 🔔 State SRLMs have funds but lack deployable, scalable models for agro-enterprise. That's your startup highway!
• 🔔 MKSP is not grant-heavy but result-driven — perfect fit for mission-led startups who want to be rural changemakers, not subsidy diggers.
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7️⃣ Suggested Startup Action Plan
1. Identify 2–3 pilot geographies (Odisha, Chhattisgarh, MP have strong MKSP base).
2. Partner with District Mission Management Units (DMMUs) to co-create.
3. Focus on one ‘block-level opportunity’ – e.g., turmeric processing, seed banks, millet branding.
4. Build a pitch around productivity + dignity + income + nutrition — the MKSP 4-pillar model.
