Program Goals & Outcomes - URJA – UMED Rural Jeevanonnati Accelerator

Program Goal, Objectives and Outcomes

Goal

To enable rural women-led and SHG-linked enterprises in Maharashtra to achieve sustained growth, formalisation and market integration through structured incubation and ecosystem strengthening.

Objectives

URJA aims to:

Incubate at least 150 viable rural women enterprises across Maharashtra.

Ensure that at least 66% of supported enterprises are women-owned or women-led.

Support enterprises in achieving a minimum 15% annual revenue growth.

Facilitate the creation of up to three additional local jobs per enterprise through business expansion.

Strengthen capabilities in business planning, finance, operations, branding, digital tools and market linkages.

Improve access to grants, soft loans, bank credit and other suitable financial instruments.

Reduce perceived credit risks through better records, financial planning and structured handholding.

Develop a replicable incubation framework that can be integrated into MSRLM systems.

Expected outcomes

By the end of the programme:

enterprises will be onboarded, incubated and tracked through a digital MIS.

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Supported enterprises will demonstrate or higher annual revenue growth.

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enterprises will improve their formalisation status through registrations, licences, GST compliance or digital presence.

Enterprises will have stronger business records, financial systems and growth plans.

Selected enterprises will receive support for market access, technology adoption and finance mobilisation.

Incubation toolkits, SOPs and learning resources will be institutionalised within MSRLM.

Rural enterprises will be better positioned for long-term sustainability and scale.

Background and Rationale

The Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) aims to reduce rural poverty by strengthening community institutions and enabling poor households to access financial and livelihood opportunities.

In Maharashtra, MSRLM is implementing DAY-NRLM across 351 blocks in 34 districts. Through Self Help Groups (SHGs), Village Organisations (VOs) and Cluster Level Federations (CLFs), the mission has supported the emergence of numerous women-led and community-linked rural enterprises.

Many of these enterprises have moved beyond the initial livelihood stage and now have the potential to grow.

However, they often require structured support in areas such as:

Business planning and financial management.

Product quality and standardisation.

Branding, packaging and digital marketing.

Working capital and growth finance.

Technology adoption and operational efficiency.

Market access and buyer linkages.

Registrations, licences and certifications.

Business Records & MIS

URJA has been designed to address these needs through a comprehensive incubation model. The programme will provide customised, enterprise-level support while also strengthening market systems, partnerships and institutional capabilities.

The programme will serve as a lighthouse initiative for non-farm rural enterprise development in Maharashtra, creating a pathway for rural businesses to achieve sustained growth, improve profitability, generate local employment and access wider markets.