/filters:format(webp)/english-betterindia/media/media_files/2025/12/23/whatsapp-image-priyanka-tri-2025-12-23-12-24-49.jpeg "Over 600 Grassroots Women in Ranchi Trained in AI Skills to Boost Livelihoods")
In a powerful example of grassroots empowerment, West Bengal has crossed a remarkable milestone: over 12 lakh (1.2 million) Self-Help Groups (SHGs) are now active in the state, making it the highest in India.
These SHGs are not just numbers , they represent 1.2 crore women coming together to run savings groups, micro-businesses, social enterprises, and more. This collective strength is transforming rural life: SHG members are now involved in improving village infrastructure, ensuring better water and sanitation, and even monitoring local development systems.
For many of these women, SHGs offer more than economic benefit: they provide a powerful voice, peer solidarity, and a real opportunity for financial independence. The ripple effects are clear , when women organize, entire communities grow stronger.
