FM Sitharaman Takes Stock Of Financial Inclusion Schemes In Ladakh

Leh: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday visited an exhibition of native handicrafts and handloom merchandise by means of Self Help Groups (SHG) and native marketers of the Ladakh area. She interacted with artisans, women-led SHGs and native marketers showcasing conventional crafts, handloom textiles and sustainable inventions at their stalls.

The Finance Minister liked the entrepreneurial spirit and creativity of the artisans, highlighting their position in conserving cultural heritage and boosting rural livelihoods within the Union Territory. The initiative is a part of the Centre’s coverage of inclusive construction to empower women folk and native marketers and create extra jobs.

The Finance Minister is on a four-day consult with to Ladakh. She will chair a credit score outreach programme emphasising the essential position of credit score in selling monetary inclusion and financial construction within the area.

Smt @nsitharaman addresses the target audience right through the Credit Outreach Programme in Leh, Ladakh. pic.twitter.com/FVKu1KHzH2
— Nirmala Sitharaman Office (@nsitharamanoffc) June 15, 2025

Sitharaman is scheduled to engage with councillors of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) and the Ladakh management. She may also inaugurate quite a lot of developmental initiatives right through her excursion.

The Modi executive has succeeded in mobilising greater than 10.04 crore women folk into over 90.76 lakh self-help teams (SHGs) national to advertise monetary inclusion underneath the flagship DAY-NRLM poverty alleviation scheme.

Over 52 crore loans value Rs 32.61 lakh crore had been sanctioned underneath the PM Mudra Yojana for the deficient, with the scheme having finished 10 years of its release this yr. The scheme has ended in the empowerment of ladies in small cities and villages, as just about 70 consistent with cent of Mudra loans had been availed by means of women folk marketers, improving their monetary independence and contributing to gender equality.

In the closing 9 years, whilst per-woman PMMY disbursement quantity greater by means of a compound annual enlargement fee (CAGR) of 13 consistent with cent to Rs 62,679, the per-woman incremental deposits greater by means of a CAGR of 14 consistent with cent to Rs 95,269, knowledge compiled by means of the Finance Ministry displays.

The IMF has additionally lauded the PM Mudra Yojana, with a document of the UN arm mentioning that the scheme, which extends collateral-free loans with a unique focal point on women folk’s entrepreneurship, has helped spice up the choice of women-owned MSMEs, which now stands at greater than 2.8 million.

The document mentioned that an enabling coverage atmosphere for entrepreneurship via quite a lot of systems, such because the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojan,a is contributing to greater self-employment and formalisation via credit score.