Country Factsheet
India
This factsheet provides an overview of economic inclusion programs in India. Economic inclusion programs are a bundle of coordinated, multidimensional interventions that support individuals, households, and communities in raising their incomes and building their assets. The data used for this factsheet comes from the Partnership for Economic Inclusion’s Landscape Survey 2023.
Country Facts
Region
South Asia
Population
1,407.56 million
Income Group
Lower middle income
FCV country (WB FY24 list)
No
Poverty Headcount (share of population below the poverty line)
National Poverty Line
21.90%
Multidimensional Poverty Index
16.39%
$2.15/day (2017 PPP)
10.00%
Programs
Number of economic inclusion programs
19Institutional delivery (lead agency)
- Nongovernment-led
- Government-led
Geographic area
- Rural only
- Urban/peri
- Mix (urban & rural)
Participants
Number of participants
953,648Number of people benefiting
4.36 millionParticipants served by government-led programs (%)
88.76%Main Program Objectives
Wage employment
Self-employment
Income diversification
Productivity
Food security
Market access
Women's empowerment
Social inclusion
Social cohesion
Financial inclusion
Social services
Climate resilience
- More than 2/3 of programs
- Between 1/3 and less than 2/3 of programs
- Fewer than 1/3 of programs
Participant Profile
Targeted Poverty Segments
Poor
Extreme poor
Ultra-poor
Those above the poverty line
Doesn't target by poverty level
Targeted Population Groups
Women
Children
Youth
Older people
Persons with disabilities
Displacement-affected
Climate-affected
Marginalized
Conflict-affected
- More than 2/3 of programs
- Between 1/3 and less than 2/3 of programs
- Fewer than 1/3 of programs
CORE PROGRAM COMPONENTS
Transfer
Business capital
Wage employment facilitation
Skills training
Coaching
Financial services facilitation
Market links
Climate resilience support
ECONOMIC INCLUSION PROGRAMS SURVEYED
| Program Name | Year program began | Lead Agencies | Program Description | No. of Current Participants | % Female Participants | Poverty Targeting | Digital |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building Climate Smart Integrated Agriculture for Smallholder Farmers in Damoh, Madhya Pradesh | 2021 | CARE India Solutions for Sustainable Development | The program supports small-holder farmers for their livelihood promotion. | 9,000 | 1-25% of participants | Targets poor broadly | Yes |
| Climate Smart Agriculture for Tribal Women Farmers | 2023 | Tapananda Rural Development Society | The program introduces three poly greenhouses with vertical farming facilities, provides saplings and seeds, and establishes women's self-help groups for targeted tribal communities. | 150 | All (100% of participants are female) | Targets XP/UP only | Yes |
| Economic Empowerment of Ultrapoor Persons with Disabilities | 2022 | Sightsavers India | The project aims to improve the livelihoods and social inclusion of people with disabilities. | 1,000 | Does not target by poverty level | Yes | |
| Empowering Smallholder Farmers through Promotion of Sustainable Agriculture and Water Harvesting and Conservation Methods in Bathinda, Punjab | 2021 | CARE India Solutions for Sustainable Development | The program empowers smallholder farmers by promoting sustainable agriculture and water harvesting and water conservation. | 9,000 | 26-50% of participants | Targets poor broadly | Yes |
| Empowering Smallholder Farmers through Strengthening Agri & Allied Clusters in Chhota Udepur, Gujarat | 2021 | CARE India Solutions for Sustainable Development | The program supports the livelihood promotion of smallholder farmers | 6,000 | 26-50% of participants | Targets poor broadly | Yes |
| Farmer Field and Business School | 2022 | CARE India Solutions for Sustainable Development | The project improves agricultural and livestock management practices through the inclusion of climate-smart agriculture, access to finance, market literacy, and nutrition-sensitive agriculture. | 8,000 | 51-75% of participants | Targets poor broadly | Yes |
| Meghalaya Community-Led Landscapes Management Project | 2018 | Meghalaya Basin Development Agency | The program aims to institutionalize a community-led natural resources conservation model applying a landscape-based approach for green, resilient, and inclusive development. | 30,000 | 26-50% of participants | Targets poor broadly | Yes |
| Mobile Connections to Promote Women's Economic Empowerment | 2016 | Trickle Up India Foundation | The program supports participants in transitioning to sustainable and climate-resilient livelihoods, characterized by increased income, integration into social and economic structures, and social status, through the provision of entrepreneurial training and promoting individual and group enterprises. | 2,800 | All (100% of participants are female) | Targets XP/UP only | Yes |
| Partnering to Scale Up Graduation with Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society | 2015 | Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS) | The program promotes sustainable livelihoods by connecting women to markets, strengthening the capacity of coaches and enhancing data-driven decision-making. | 18,100 | All (100% of participants are female) | Targets XP/UP only | Yes |
| Fisheries Sector COVID-19 Recovery Project | 2023 | Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying | The project provides performance grants to microenterprises in the fishery sector for the expansion of value chains and reduction of fish losses, and to micro and small enterprises to supply safe fish products to domestic consumers. The project supports job creation, enhanced climate resilience, improved hygiene and pollution management. | Targets poor broadly | Yes | ||
| The Satat Jeevikoparjan Yojana (SJY) program | 2018 | Bihar Rural Livelihood Promotion Society (Jeevika), Government of Bihar | SJY leverages Jeevika's community network to provide ultra-poor households in Bihar with sequential components, namely productive assets, training, coaching, savings access, and consumption support. | 155,000 | All (100% of participants are female) | Targets poor broadly | Yes |
| State of Maharashtra's Agriculture and Rural Transformation Project | 2019 | Department of Agriculture, Government of Maharashtra | The project aims to support the development of inclusive and competitive agriculture value chains by expanding access to new markets with complementary investments in technical services and risk management capabilities. It focuses on small-holder farmers and agri-entrepreneurs. | 180,000 | 26-50% of participants | Does not target by poverty level | Yes |
| Tamil Nadu Rural Transformation Project | 2017 | Tamil Nadu Rural Transformation Society (TNRTS) | The program promotes sustainability and prosperity through rural enterprise development, access to finance, and employment opportunities. | 432,191 | 51-75% of participants | Targets poor broadly | Yes |
| Targeting the Hardcore Poor (THP) | 2006 | Bandhan Konnagar | The program is a micro-enterprise-based poverty alleviation model that targets ultra-poor women households in rural and semi-urban areas, to ensure social and financial inclusion and improved incomes, consumption, and assets. | 65,000 | All (100% of participants are female) | Targets XP/UP only | Yes |
| Tejaswini: Socioeconomic empowerment of adolescent girls and young women in Jharkhand | 2016 | Jharkhand Women Development Society (JWDS), under the Department of Women, Child Development and Social Services (DWCDSS) | The program aims to improve market-driven skills training and secondary education completion through community and institutional interventions such as counseling, life, vocational and business skill training, and livelihood services. | 30,000 | All (100% of participants are female) | Does not target by poverty level | Yes |
| Ultra-Poor Market Access (UPMA) | 2021 | Trickle Up | The program aims to integrate Farmer Interest Groups into well-functioning Farmer Producer Organizations that prioritize poorer women farmers and unlock government capital to address capital constraints faced by smaller farmer collectives. | 1,016 | All (100% of participants are female) | Targets XP/UP only | Yes |
| Zoe Empowers | 2021 | Jeevanadh Charitable Trust | The program empowers orphaned children and vulnerable youth through a family-based and peer-led program that promotes safety, health, and skills for long-term success. | 2,260 | 51-75% of participants | Targets XP/UP only | Yes |
| Zoe Empowers | 2009 | Zoe India | The program empowers orphaned children and vulnerable youth through a family-based and peer-led program that promotes safety, health, and skills for long-term success. | 2,971 | 51-75% of participants | Targets XP/UP only | Yes |
Only programs that have given their consent to share their program data are included in this table
The Partnership for Economic Inclusion (PEI) is a global platform that unites non-governmental organizations, UN agencies, research institutions, funding partners, and the World Bank to support government adoption and scale up of economic inclusion programs that empower vulnerable people to lift themselves out of extreme poverty.
| DNA: Does Not Apply; FY: Fiscal Year; FCV: Fragility, Conflict, and Violence; MPI: Multidimensional Poverty Index; NPL: National Poverty Line; N/A: Not available; WB: World Bank |