Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the Bihar Rajya Jeevika Nidhi Saakh Sahkari Sangh Limited today at 12:30 p.m., through a video conference. Along with the launch, he will transfer Rs 105 crore directly into the new cooperative’s bank account, giving it a strong financial start.
This new cooperative is specially created to provide affordable and easy financial services to women involved in Bihar’s popular rural livelihoods program, Jeevika. All registered Cluster-Level Federations under Jeevika will become members of this cooperative, which is a joint effort by the Bihar state government and the Central Government.
Over the years, thousands of women in Bihar working with Jeevika’s self-help groups have become small business owners, starting their own small businesses and production units across the state. But many of these women still relied on microfinance institutions (MFIs) that charged high-interest rates between 18% and 24%.
The aim of the Jeevika Nidhi is to change that. It will offer larger loans at much lower interest rates, helping women access affordable credit and reducing dependence on costly microfinance loans. The entire process will be digital, making transactions faster, more transparent, and easier for women to use.
To make this happen, around 12,000 community workers will get tablets, which will help them assist “Didis”—the women involved in Jeevika—in accessing financial services easily. This initiative is set to boost financial inclusion, empower rural women, and support local entrepreneurship.
Nearly 2 million women across Bihar are expected to tune in to watch the live launch, showing the immense grassroots impact of this project. The Jeevika Nidhi Federation is seen as a big step toward building a more inclusive, self-reliant rural economy in Bihar—focused on women’s empowerment and strong community-backed growth.
This move is expected to transform rural livelihoods and uplift women across Bihar, making financial services more accessible and affordable for all.
