UP has over 10.5 lakh self-help groups linked to 1.25 crore rural families

Uttar Pradesh has more than 10.5 lakh self-help groups linked to nearly 1.25 crore rural families, as per a state government release dated 2 September 2026. The network also includes 65,544 Village Organisations and 3,298 Cluster-Level Federations.

The work runs under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana National Rural Livelihoods Mission, with the state arm called UPSRLM, part of the Rural Development Department. Women first join groups and save small amounts every month. These savings help them get bank credit and other institutional finance, which is then connected to skills, production and markets.

Women's groups do work such as agriculture-linked tasks, animal husbandry, dairy, food processing and local products. One example is the Vidyut Sakhi programme, under which women from self-help groups collect electricity bill payments. By mid-2025, around 30,000 women had registered and 438 Vidyut Sakhis had reached Lakhpati Didi status. More on this is on the UP Bijli Sakhi Yojana page.

The state has also directed the mission to connect women beneficiaries of rural housing schemes, including Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Gramin and Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana-Gramin, with self-help groups, so families can work towards both a home and an income.