Suman Sharma’s journey begins in Hahim village in Kamrup district, Assam, where she once balanced her responsibilities as a housewife and an SHG bookkeeper while facing financial dependence and limited digital access in her community. Everything changed when she joined the Udyamini Project on 14 July 2022 under the Digital Empowerment Foundation’s value chain. With no initial capital and only determination to guide her, Suman began exploring ways to support her family while addressing the digital gap around her.
Through Udyamini, Suman received training that helped her set up her own digital service centre. She quickly learned to provide essential services, including welfare enrolments, banking support, information access, and scheme linkages. Her early earnings of around Rs 25,000 per month not only boosted her confidence but also marked the beginning of her financial independence. Over time, her skills and commitment helped her expand her services, and today she earns approximately Rs 50,000 every month.
What began as a personal quest for independence soon grew into a mission to uplift others. As her digital service centre became a reliable resource for residents, Suman noticed that women and families in her village no longer needed to travel long distances for basic services. She then took her role further by becoming a digital literacy trainer, mentoring other Rural Women Entrepreneurs in bookkeeping, financial management, and business coordination. Her ability to guide and counsel women has made her a trusted figure in the community.
Suman now aims to scale her work by setting up a computer training centre for children and women, expanding her reach to more villages, and strengthening her identity as a digital entrepreneur offering a range of need-based services. Her commitment to empowerment continues to inspire many around her.
Suman’s story echoes her own words: “From a homemaker with a dream to a digital leader empowering many, Suman’s journey reminds us that when courage meets opportunity, transformation begins, and when one woman rises, an entire community moves forward.” Her project manager shares a similar sentiment, saying, “Suman’s journey reflects the true spirit of Udyamini, resilience, dedication, and community impact. Her growth from a learner to a mentor shows how empowering one woman can uplift many.”
As remarkable as her journey is, Suman is not alone. She is one among hundreds of Rural Women Entrepreneurs (RWEs) who are shaping local economies across Assam and West Bengal. Many of these entrepreneurs, including Suman, will participate in the Rural Udyamita Conference 2025 to be held on 12 December at NEDFi, Guwahati. The event aims to bring RWEs, sector experts, institutions, and development practitioners together to discuss pathways for strengthening rural entrepreneurship in India.
The conference is organised and hosted by the Council for Social and Digital Development (CSDD), Digital Empowerment Foundation, North East Development Foundation, and Unifiers Social Ventures. It is co-organised by the Udyamini RWEP Collaborative and supported by institutional partners United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Assam State Rural Livelihoods Mission (ASRLM). The four-year Udyamini programme (2023–2027), implemented through the Rural Women Entrepreneurship Programme (RWEP), focuses on building a vibrant and digitally empowered ecosystem for women entrepreneurs. Its collaborative framework brings together non-profit organisations, technical partners, and grassroots innovators working across key value chains such as agriculture, horticulture, handloom, handicrafts, tea, and micro-businesses, along with emerging sectors like clean and solar energy.
The Rural Udyamita Conference will serve as a platform to share learnings, celebrate progress, and envision the future of rural entrepreneurship. For participants like Suman Sharma, it represents not just an event but a recognition of how far they have come and how much further they aim to go, carrying their communities with them.
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