Deepening financial inclusion and empowering rural women, the Government of India launched the Bima Sakhi Yojana, a scheme aimed at transforming Self-Help Group (SHG) women into agents of insurance awareness and access. Spearheaded by the Ministry of Rural Development in partnership with the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), the initiative is aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious vision of achieving ‘Insurance for All by 2047, marking 100 years of India’s independence.
The scheme, inaugurated on December 9, 2024, by PM Narendra Modi, is being implemented under LIC’s Mahila Career Agent (MCA) framework. Under this initiative, women from SHGs are trained and deployed as Bima Sakhis at the Gram Panchayat level. Their role is to serve as the last-mile link between formal insurance services and rural communities that have traditionally remained underserved or excluded from the financial mainstream.
Speaking at the launch event, Chouhan described the Bima Sakhi Yojana as a “historic step” in the direction of women’s economic empowerment and rural financial security. He credited the vision of Prime Minister Modi for driving such people-centric policies, emphasising that schemes like these not only empower individual women but also help build resilient communities.
According to Chouhan, “Bima Sakhis are not just insurance agents, they are social changemakers who will take the mission of financial literacy, security, and independence to the heart of rural India.”
The scheme is part of a broader framework of rural development, where financial empowerment, digital inclusion, and social security are interlinked to uplift communities from poverty and uncertainty.
The Bima Sakhis are tasked with spreading awareness about insurance schemes, facilitating enrollment in affordable life and accident insurance products, supporting claim processes, and building trust in formal financial mechanisms. Their outreach focuses particularly on vulnerable groups such as landless labourers, marginal farmers, and women-headed households.
The scheme is also in line with the government’s Lakhpati Didi Mission, which aims to make two crore rural women financially self-reliant by August 15 through livelihood generation, skilling, and entrepreneurship. By engaging SHG women in the insurance sector, the Bima Sakhi Yojana offers them not just income, but also recognition and upward mobility.
These women are provided a monthly stipend during their initial years of service Rs 7,000 in the first year, Rs 6,000 in the second, and Rs 5,000 in the third, along with commissions on policy sales. Moreover, those with graduate-level education are eligible to apply for positions like Apprentice Development Officer (ADO) within LIC after completing five years as Bima Sakhis.
As per a written reply in the Lok Sabha dated July 21, 2025, the government has committed significant funds to the scheme. During the financial year 2024–25, LIC disbursed Rs 62.36 crore in stipends to Bima Sakhis. For the ongoing financial year 2025–26, a massive Rs 520 crore has been allocated, out of which Rs 115.13 crore had already been disbursed by mid-July. These numbers reflect not only the seriousness of the government’s intent but also the scale at which the scheme is being implemented.
Till now, 2,05,896 women have been trained and deployed across India as Bima Sakhis. Uttar Pradesh leads the list with 23,152 Bima Sakhis, followed by Andhra Pradesh (20,054), Maharashtra (18,086), and Rajasthan (15,243). These women are working directly with local communities, ensuring that even in the remotest parts of the country, families have access to basic insurance coverage.
A critical aspect of the scheme is its alignment with flagship government insurance initiatives such as the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY). PMJJBY is a life insurance scheme that provides a Rs 2 lakh cover in the event of death due to any cause. It is available to individuals aged 18 to 50 years holding a savings bank or post office account, with an annual premium of Rs 330 auto-debited from the account. PMSBY offers accident insurance coverage of Rs 2 lakh for death or permanent disability due to accidents, at an annual premium of just Rs 20, and is available for account holders aged 18 to 70 years.
By bringing these schemes to the doorstep of villagers, the Bima Sakhis are helping overcome long-standing barriers like a lack of awareness, mistrust of insurance companies, and the complexity of claim processes. They also ensure that policy renewals are timely and that beneficiaries are assisted in filing claims, especially in times of distress such as death or disability in the family.
Moreover, the initiative is expected to have a multiplier effect on rural women’s participation in the formal economy. By involving women directly in the financial services sector, the scheme promotes gender equality (SDG Goal 5), enhances decision-making power within households, and provides sustainable livelihood opportunities. The empowerment of women, in turn, is expected to have ripple effects on education, health, and child welfare in their communities.
PM Modi highlighted the importance of schemes like Bima Sakhi in achieving the larger national vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. He said, “This scheme is a living example of how local women can become agents of national transformation. It creates not only employment but dignity and leadership opportunities for women in villages.”
The implementation strategy involves active outreach campaigns coordinated through LIC branches, Panchayati Raj Institutions, and SHG networks. Public awareness is being driven via print, digital, and regional media, with a special focus on community-based promotion during gram sabhas and SHG meetings. The government is also exploring convergence with other women-centric schemes such as POSHAN Abhiyaan, Skill India, and PM Vishwakarma Yojana to make Bima Sakhi Yojana a comprehensive model for grassroots economic development.
In the larger context, the scheme is yet another milestone in the government’s efforts to democratise access to healthcare and financial services. From the proliferation of generic medicines through Jan Aushadhi Kendras, to extending micro-insurance and pension schemes to informal workers, the BJP-led NDA government has consistently worked to build a robust, affordable safety net for all.
As India approaches 2047, the centenary of its independence, the Bima Sakhi Yojana exemplifies the government’s resolve to leave no one behind in the journey toward development. It redefines the role of rural women, not as passive recipients of welfare but as active architects of social and financial transformation. Each Bima Sakhi represents not just a trained insurance agent, but a torchbearer of change, taking forward a mission of empowerment, resilience, and national progress one village at a time.
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