Jharkhand Livelihood Promotion: JSLPS Empowers 34 Lakh Rural Families with Sustainable Enterprise Development

Ranchi: The Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS) mobilised around 34 lakh rural families across the state, officials said during a state-level workshop, themed on ‘Strengthening Tribal and Rural Livelihoods through Sustainable Enterprise Development’, organised jointly by the JSLPS and the NITI Aayog in Ranchi on Wednesday.The workshop highlighted women-led entrepreneurship, community mobilisation, and policy convergence as key drivers for inclusive and sustainable growth in the state.Representatives from govt departments, industry, academia, financial institutions, and civil society participated in deliberations on strengthening enterprise ecosystems in tribal and rural areas.According to officials, JSLPS mobilised 39 lakh women SHG members, formed 21,175 village organisations, 998 cluster-level federations, 7,278 producer groups, and 123 farmer producer organisations. Nearly 20 lakh farmers were trained, while 37 lakh non-farm enterprises were promoted. In total, 3.32 lakh enterprises were strengthened or formed, with 80% engaged in trade, nine per cent in manufacturing, and 11% in services.CEO of JSLPS, Ananya Mittal, said, "The initiative aimed to strengthen women-led livelihood and enterprise models in tribal and rural regions through cross-learning and adoption of best practices from other states."The Advisor of NITI Aayog, Surendra Mehra, emphasised convergence across departments and schemes to build sustainable enterprise pathways. He said, "The state has potential in agro-based industries, non-timber forest produce, eco-tourism, and mineral-based value chains."State rural development department secretary, K Srinivasan highlighted the need for enabling land-use frameworks, improved access to finance, and stronger market linkages for tribal and rural women entrepreneurs. He referred to initiatives such as ‘Brand Palash’ and ‘Adiva’ and announced plans to establish a large-scale Palash Mart to provide robust market access to women-led enterprises.A key attraction of the workshop was an exhibition featuring 22 stalls, showcasing community-led and market-linked enterprise models, including Palash Mart, Jharcraft, Adiva, Didi Cafe, BIT Mesra, and the Institute of Hotel Management, reflecting innovation rooted in local resources and traditional knowledge.Panel discussions underscored value addition, skill development, institutional support, innovation, and stronger academia–industry collaboration as critical enablers for sustainable rural enterprises.