WSHGs (Women Self Help Groups) History, Objectives, Benefits, Government Schemes, Contact Details & More

Quick Info

Particular	Details
Full Form	Women Self Help Groups
Common Abbreviation	WSHGs
Hindi Name	महिला स्वयं सहायता समूह
Related Term	Self Help Groups (SHGs)
Nature	Voluntary, community-based groups
Typical Group Size	Usually 10–20 members
Main Members	Women from similar socio-economic backgrounds
Core Activities	Savings, internal lending, bank linkage and livelihoods
Main Rural Government Programme	DAY-NRLM, also known as Aajeevika
Main Urban Government Programme	DAY-NULM
Nodal Ministry for DAY-NRLM	Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India
National Rural Livelihoods Portal	nrlm.gov.in
Aajeevika Portal	aajeevika.gov.in
National DAY-NRLM Contact	011-23461708
National Bank-Linkage Helpdesk	1800 111 555

What are WSHGs?

WSHGs, or Women Self Help Groups, are small voluntary groups in which women come together to save money, provide small loans to one another, develop livelihoods, and collectively access government schemes, banks, training, and markets.

A Women Self Help Group is not generally a single company or central organisation. It is a grassroots community institution supported by government missions, banks, NGOs, local administrations, and State Rural or Urban Livelihoods Missions.

The group normally maintains a common fund created through regular savings. Members may use this fund for emergency needs, small businesses, education, health expenses, agriculture, livestock, food processing, tailoring, handicrafts, and other livelihood activities.

Size and Structure of a WSHG

A typical Self Help Group consists of approximately 10 to 20 members. In some difficult, hilly, tribal, or special areas, the permitted group size may vary according to the relevant government guidelines.

The groups usually follow certain common practices:

Regular meetings
Regular savings
Internal lending among members
Timely repayment of loans
Maintenance of updated account books
Collective decision-making
A bank account operated by authorised members

DAY-NRLM refers to these practices as the Panchasutra, or five basic principles of a functioning SHG. DAY-NRLM/Aajeevika

Main Objectives of WSHGs

Women Self Help Groups are formed to achieve several social and economic objectives.

Financial Inclusion

WSHGs help women gain access to:

Bank accounts
Savings facilities
Formal credit
Insurance
Pension services
Financial literacy
Digital payment systems
Government subsidies and interest-support programmes

Livelihood Development

Groups may undertake activities such as:

Agriculture
Dairy and livestock
Poultry farming
Fisheries
Food processing
Tailoring and garment-making
Handicrafts and handloom
Mushroom cultivation
Honey production
Small retail businesses
Catering and community kitchens
Local service enterprises

Women’s Empowerment

WSHGs provide women with a platform to:

Make financial decisions
Develop leadership skills
Speak collectively on community matters
Participate in Gram Sabhas and local institutions
Access public entitlements
Address issues such as health, nutrition, sanitation, and gender-based discrimination

Poverty Reduction

Through savings, credit, skills, and livelihood support, WSHGs aim to help poor households diversify their income and become less dependent on informal moneylenders.

DAY-NRLM and Women SHGs

The Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) is the major national programme supporting rural women’s Self Help Groups.

The programme is implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development in collaboration with State Rural Livelihoods Missions. It focuses on:

Social mobilisation
Institution building
Financial inclusion
Sustainable livelihoods
Social inclusion
Access to entitlements and public services

DAY-NRLM promotes SHGs with exclusive women membership and works to create higher-level institutions such as:

Village Organisations (VOs)
Cluster-Level Federations (CLFs)
Producer Groups
Producer Enterprises
Women-led collectives

Aajeevika — DAY-NRLM

Scale of DAY-NRLM

According to a Government of India release, DAY-NRLM had mobilised 10.05 crore rural women households into more than 90.90 lakh Self Help Groups across 28 States and 6 Union Territories.

The programme has also promoted women farmers, known as Mahila Kisans, and trained community workers such as:

Krishi Sakhis
Pashu Sakhis
Bank Sakhis
Banking Correspondent Sakhis

These women help provide last-mile agricultural, livestock, banking, and financial services in rural areas. Press Information Bureau

DAY-NULM and Urban WSHGs

For urban areas, women’s Self Help Groups may be supported through the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM).

DAY-NULM’s guidelines describe SHGs as groups of generally 10 to 20 women or men who come together for savings, loans, livelihood development, and improved living conditions. Women’s SHGs are the usual model, while special groups may also be formed for persons with disabilities.

Urban SHGs may be organised into higher-level institutions such as:

Area-Level Federations
City-Level Federations

DAY-NULM Guidelines

How a WSHG Works

The working process generally follows these steps:

Women from a village, neighbourhood, or community come together.
The group agrees on its name, rules, meeting schedule, and savings amount.
Members begin making regular savings.
A common fund is created.
Small internal loans are provided to members according to group rules.
The group opens or operates a bank account.
After completing the required period of functioning, the group may seek bank linkage and government support.
Members receive training for agriculture, enterprise, marketing, bookkeeping, or digital finance.
The group may form or join a federation for larger market and financial opportunities.

The exact registration, grading, funding, and bank-linkage procedure may differ between States and schemes.

Financial Support Available to WSHGs

Depending on eligibility and the relevant programme, WSHGs may receive or access:

Revolving funds
Community investment funds
Bank loans
Interest subvention
Credit-linkage support
Skill-development grants
Enterprise-development support
Market-linkage assistance
Training and capacity building
Support for producer groups and enterprises
Assistance under agriculture, livestock, food-processing, and rural-enterprise programmes

The objective is not only to provide a one-time grant but to create financially sustainable institutions that can save, borrow, invest, produce, and sell collectively.

Role of Federations

Individual WSHGs may join larger community institutions.

Village Organisation

A Village Organisation generally brings together several SHGs from the village or group of nearby villages. It may support:

Financial management
Training
Social inclusion
Access to government schemes
Monitoring of group activities
Livelihood planning

Cluster-Level Federation

A Cluster-Level Federation works across several villages and may help with:

Bulk procurement
Branding
Packaging
Marketing
Enterprise development
Larger credit access
Training and technical support

Federation structures help small groups gain stronger bargaining power and reach larger markets.

WSHGs and Bank Linkage

Bank linkage is one of the most important parts of the SHG model.

A functioning group may be linked with a bank for:

Savings accounts
Cash-credit facilities
Term loans
Working-capital loans
Interest-support programmes
Insurance and pension services
Digital financial services

The DAY-NRLM bank-linkage portal lists a technical helpdesk for bank-linkage issues through servicedesk.nic.in and the number 1800 111 555. DAY-NRLM Bank Linkage Portal

Contact Details

Because WSHGs are community groups rather than one central organisation, contact details depend on whether the group is rural, urban, or linked to a particular State mission.

National DAY-NRLM Contact

Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission
Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India
7th Floor, NDCC Building–II
Jai Singh Road
New Delhi–110001

Phone:
011-23461708

Web Information Manager / Technical Email:
mis-nrlm@nic.in

DAY-NRLM Official Contact Listing

Aajeevika Contact Listing

An Aajeevika contact page also displays the following National Rural Livelihoods Mission contact:

Address:
6th Floor, Hotel Samrat
Kautilya Marg, Chanakyapuri
New Delhi–110021

Phone:
011-24122947

Because different official NRLM pages display different office locations and telephone numbers, users should check the latest contact information on the relevant official portal before visiting an office. Aajeevika Contact Listing

Urban WSHG / DAY-NULM Contact

For urban Self Help Groups, the national DAY-NULM administrative contact listed in the official contact document is:

Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
Nirman Bhawan
New Delhi–110011

Joint Secretary and Mission Director:
Smt. Isha Kalia, IAS

Phone:
011-23063255

Email:
isha.ias09@gov.in

DAY-NULM Contact Details

State-Level Contact

For actual WSHG formation, registration, training, or funding, women should generally contact:

State Rural Livelihoods Mission
State Urban Livelihoods Mission
Block Mission Management Unit
District Mission Management Unit
District Rural Development Agency
Municipal livelihood mission
District Women and Child Development office
Local bank branch or SHG federation

A national office may not directly register an individual group in every State.

Official Social Media Accounts

DAY-NRLM / Aajeevika

X: @DAY_NRLM
Facebook: Aajeevika – National Rural Livelihoods Mission
Instagram: @day_nrlm
LinkedIn: DAY-NRLM
Official Website: aajeevika.gov.in
NRLM Portal: nrlm.gov.in

The DAY-NRLM X account identifies itself as the official account of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihood Mission under the Ministry of Rural Development. DAY-NRLM Official X Account

Google Search Result Contact Note

Some Google search results and non-government websites list numbers such as 1800-180-5999 as an SHG helpline.

However, this number was not confirmed on the current official DAY-NRLM contact listings reviewed for this article. Therefore, users should first rely on:

nrlm.gov.in
aajeevika.gov.in
The relevant State Rural Livelihoods Mission
The official block or district mission office
The official DAY-NRLM phone number 011-23461708

Do not pay an agent for group registration or share bank passwords, OTPs, Aadhaar OTPs, or confidential financial details with unofficial callers. Google-indexed SHG helpline listing

Some Lesser-Known Facts About WSHGs

WSHG stands for Women Self Help Group.
An SHG is usually a voluntary, informal community institution rather than a company.
Regular meetings, savings, internal loans, repayment, and bookkeeping are central to group sustainability.
DAY-NRLM promotes exclusive women’s SHGs in rural areas.
WSHGs can work in both farm and non-farm activities.
Women SHGs may become members of Village Organisations and Cluster-Level Federations.
Bank Sakhis help connect SHGs and rural households with formal banking services.
Krishi Sakhis and Pashu Sakhis provide agriculture and livestock-related support.
WSHGs can help women build savings, credit access, income, confidence, leadership, and decision-making power.
Urban SHGs are generally supported through DAY-NULM or State Urban Livelihoods Missions.
The correct office for a group depends on the location of the group and the scheme under which it is formed.
WSHGs are not limited to microcredit; they can become producer groups, enterprises, service providers, and community institutions.

Disclaimer: WSHG registration, eligibility, group size, bank-linkage rules, grants, subsidies, and contact details may vary by State and government programme. The contact information above was compiled from official DAY-NRLM, Aajeevika, DAY-NULM, and State-government pages, official social-media accounts, and publicly indexed Google search results. Always verify current details through the relevant government portal before submitting documents or making payments.