Question

SHE-Marts (Self Help Entrepreneur Marts) introduced in the Union Budget 2026–27 aims to: ____.

• A. Provide direct cash transfers to rural women under SHGs
• B. Establish community-owned retail outlets to promote SHG women entrepreneurship
• C. Offer free agricultural land to women farmers
• D. Create employment in urban retail chains for women

Hint:

Remember the institutional chain: Individual SHG member $\rightarrow$ Village Organization $\rightarrow$ Cluster-Level Federation (CLF) $\rightarrow$ SHE-Mart. The Mart represents the final retail storefront of this network.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The initiative targets the structural transition of rural self-help groups (SHGs) from micro-borrowers into organized retail brand owners, removing intermediate supply chain layers.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Announced in the Union Budget 2026–27, SHE-Marts (Self Help Entrepreneur Marts) are designed to establish community-owned retail outlets managed directly through Cluster-Level Federations (CLFs) of self-help groups. Built to scale up the achievements of the Lakhpati Didi initiative, these marts provide rural women with dedicated marketing infrastructure, professional packaging support, and consolidated retail shelf space. By building a unified "SHE" brand identity, the policy shifts the focus from survival-level micro-credit to scaled vertical integration, allowing artisans and food processors to sell products directly to consumers and capture full retail margins.

Step 3: Final Answer:
The primary objective of SHE-Marts is to establish community-owned retail outlets to promote SHG women entrepreneurship.