Saral Jeevan Sahelis: The Falguni Nayars of rural India

Women empowerment in India received a huge boost this week. Falguni Nayar, the founder of Nykaa, became India’s newest self-made billionaire even as her net worth touched $6.5 billion. Nykaa, which is Falguni’s brainchild, is the only women-founded startup in India to go public and head for an IPO. Such achievements put her up there with the greats and serve as a beacon for all aspiring women entrepreneurs in the country.

There are, however, certain things in life that can make or break dreams. Rural India is home to numerous Falguni Nayars. They possess the drive and the passion and most importantly, they dare to dream. Only one thing holds them back. The lack of a reliable support system that can guide and help channel their passions in the right direction.

Wadhwani Foundation, a Bengaluru-based NGO, has taken the proverbial bull by the horns. The NGO will partner with Frontier Market to empower and support up to 10,000 women in rural India over the next two and half years. Based in Jaipur, Frontier Market is a rural distribution company that already operates in two Indian states. Now, with this new initiative, it aims to increase its presence to eight states in all.

As a matter of fact, Wadhwani Foundation is already funding Frontier Market’s Saral Jeevan Sahelis initiative. The program’s vision is to provide rural women folk the opportunity to earn a stable livelihood and become contributing members in their respective families. In a post-pandemic India, loss of income has forced rural communities to come to terms with the fact that women too can make significant contributions towards financial security. It is this shift in outlook that is key to unlocking rural India’s vast potential.

The newly-announced partnership endeavors to improve the income of women under the Saral Jeevan Sahelis initiative to Rs. 7,000-10,000 per month. This is a significant amount that can make a world of difference for the rural family and ensures that the women can lead dignified and financially independent lives.

Under Saral Jeevan Sahelis, local women will be recruited, trained, and provided with an opportunity to learn a steady income. These women will in turn become ‘influencers’ in their local communities and become guides for other aspiring women. For every one aspirant that is successfully recruited by an influencer, the path is being cleared for the addition of another hundred more. In the grand scheme of things, a hundred is a small number. However, the effect it has on these rural communities is unparalleled.

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