Background 

JEEViKA (Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society), has mobilized over 1.3 crore households into self-help groups (SHGs) and their federations, thus laying the foundation for financial inclusion, livelihood diversification, and enterprise development for rural women in Bihar.

For enterprise growth and access to assets, rural women face systemic barriers due to fragmented support ecosystems, weak market linkages, and limited access to formal governance structures. There was a need to:

• Strengthen governance and market systems for women-led enterprises (WLEs)
• Facilitate convergence between MGNREGA and SRLM for livelihood asset creation
• Scale proven models and promote innovative enterprises in 2 states.

• Promote inclusive, data-driven planning and digital systems

The TSU was envisioned to support to these needs by building institutional capacity, enhancing women’s agency, and introducing scalable models in non-farm and farm-based livelihoods in Bihar.

Scope of Intervention

To support and accelerate the transformation for women-led enterprises, the Technical Support Unit (TSU) was established by PCI India that provides strategic and technical assistance to JEEViKA. Its core aim is to expand entrepreneurial opportunities and facilitate asset creation for rural women, ensuring long-term, systemic change. The TSU is focused on two priority areas in response to evolving government agendas:

1. Building livelihood assets through MGNREGA
2. Expanding opportunities in non-farm enterprises

Embedded technical assistance teams operate within the state, enabling value chain strengthening, fostering convergence among key stakeholders, and developing replicable, scalable models for women’s economic empowerment.

Program Lead & Collaborators

• Government Collaborators:
  • Bihar Rural Development Society (BRDS)
  • Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (BRLPS/JEEViKA)
• Private Sector & Academic Partners:
  • Zomato
  • IIM Bodh Gaya

What We Did

1. MGNREGA for Livelihood Assets
   • Developed concept note on “Community Worksheds” for stitching
   • Conducted rural market hub study in Motihari, Nalanda and Orrisa
   • Initiated mapping of women-led livestock enterprises to promote Category-B & C assets
2. Non-Farm Enterprise Support
   • Didi Ki Rasoi (DKR):
     • Assessed 18 DKRs; created a checklist for 222 DKRs
     • Drafted new apex legal structure & policy framework
     • Partnered with Zomato; initiated price benchmarking and low-cost meal modelling
     • Drafted SOPs for food safety & ISO standards
     • Conducted gap analysis of the digital CPMS system
     • Trained women on FSMS & compliance management
   • PMFME:
     • Assess value chain readiness of existing 2K + enterprises.

Outcome

Key Results:

• Enterprise Engagement: 353 women onboarded into food-based enterprises (11 DKRs, 242 PMFME)
• MGNREGA Livelihood Assets: 89 women accessed ₹68.23 Lakhs worth of productive assets
• Enterprise Revenue: 11 DKRs reported cumulative sales of ₹91.36 Lakhs

Systemic Outcomes:

• Embedded digital MIS systems
• Initiated partnerships with private players for market access.