Empowering Rural Women Entrepreneurs Through Technology and Last-Mile Innovation
She Leads Bharat: Udyam operates at the intersection of supporting rural women entrepreneurs in securing stable, diversified income and addressing the untapped potential of scalable last-mile delivery. By strengthening rural distribution networks and enhancing women’s economic mobility, SLB:U provides a replicable model that benefits both communities and businesses. Early outcomes indicate that combining user-focused technology with comprehensive training, continuous support, a range of products and services, and strong community networks can elevate income and resilience in rural areas.
1. Technology is effective when paired with structured training and ongoing support
Rural women entrepreneurs often use digital tools less than men, and apps alone cannot bridge this gap. SLB:U addresses this with an investment of INR 5,000 per participant over 12 months, guiding them through identification, onboarding, training, and ongoing support. This structured approach builds confidence gradually: starting with simple tasks like onboarding and customer surveys, progressing to more complex workflows such as assisted commerce and independent app management.
Women engaged for more than six months receive seven to eight in-person support visits to reinforce learning. Participants who completed 12 months on the platform earned approximately INR 1,300 per month. This demonstrates a clear pattern: consistent engagement enhances skills and income.
2. User-centered platform design fosters adoption and trust
The Meri Saheli app features a simple, visually intuitive interface with support in five local languages. A guided bot helps users with lead registration, order placement, and tracking. This design reduces friction, increases retention, and builds trust in digital tools. Notably, 72.7% of users reported satisfaction with the bot, and 57.1% indicated they could navigate the app independently.
3. Income growth comes from diversifying offerings
Broadening the range of products and services increases revenue. During the program, product categories expanded from three to twelve, and revenue partners grew from 19 to 26. Earnings through Meri Saheli rose from INR 1.4 million in March 2024 to INR 21 million by February 2025. Women who joined as Airtel Payment Bank BCs gained additional income streams and supported local financial services demand. Offering a mix of low-commission, high-frequency services alongside high-commission, low-frequency options proved essential for balancing steady customer engagement with meaningful earnings.
4. Community networks reinforce last-mile impact
Trust is central to rural commerce, with women relying on existing relationships to build customer bases. Self-help groups (SHGs) are particularly effective channels for outreach and acquisition—13% of the highest-earning BCs were SHG members. These networks enhance customer loyalty, enable repeat sales, and facilitate expansion into new products. Community-led approaches foster trust and long-term engagement, making last-mile channels more resilient.
Catalytic funding as a foundation for impact
Beyond the tech-and-touch model, catalytic funding played a key role in building the infrastructure needed to scale rural distribution. Philanthropic capital absorbed experimentation costs, supported training, technology upgrades, and operational shifts, and helped establish a viable distribution network. During the program, 26 partner companies facilitated INR 611 million in transactions, with women micro and small entrepreneurs earning INR 13.5 million in commissions. This highlights both customer demand and the commercial potential of rural markets, estimated at INR 85 trillion.
The program also attracted additional support, such as returnable grants of INR 15,000 for 1,000 women through 360One, helping them purchase inventory, improve cash flow, and access formal credit. Accion provided financial literacy and business skills training, enabling confident borrowing and capital management. Frontier Markets leveraged program support to enhance technology and operational efficiency, reducing branch-level breakeven from 18 to 12 months and achieving EBITDA positivity through higher gross merchandise value and stable costs.
A scalable, replicable model
SLB:U demonstrates that rural women entrepreneurs, when supported with technology, training, and diverse product options, can effectively serve as last-mile distributors. The program increases women’s economic participation while opening rural markets to companies. It also illustrates how catalytic capital can validate innovative models and demonstrate a path to sustainability.
The next step is scaling: expanding product offerings, strengthening the enabling ecosystem, and onboarding new partners can amplify impact. Early results indicate the model is ready for replication across regions, driving meaningful economic outcomes for both women and businesses.
We invite partners interested in supporting the SLB:U women entrepreneur network and companies aiming to expand last-mile reach to connect with us for collaboration.
1. Technology is effective when paired with structured training and ongoing support
Rural women entrepreneurs often use digital tools less than men, and apps alone cannot bridge this gap. SLB:U addresses this with an investment of INR 5,000 per participant over 12 months, guiding them through identification, onboarding, training, and ongoing support. This structured approach builds confidence gradually: starting with simple tasks like onboarding and customer surveys, progressing to more complex workflows such as assisted commerce and independent app management.
Women engaged for more than six months receive seven to eight in-person support visits to reinforce learning. Participants who completed 12 months on the platform earned approximately INR 1,300 per month. This demonstrates a clear pattern: consistent engagement enhances skills and income.
2. User-centered platform design fosters adoption and trust
The Meri Saheli app features a simple, visually intuitive interface with support in five local languages. A guided bot helps users with lead registration, order placement, and tracking. This design reduces friction, increases retention, and builds trust in digital tools. Notably, 72.7% of users reported satisfaction with the bot, and 57.1% indicated they could navigate the app independently.
3. Income growth comes from diversifying offerings
Broadening the range of products and services increases revenue. During the program, product categories expanded from three to twelve, and revenue partners grew from 19 to 26. Earnings through Meri Saheli rose from INR 1.4 million in March 2024 to INR 21 million by February 2025. Women who joined as Airtel Payment Bank BCs gained additional income streams and supported local financial services demand. Offering a mix of low-commission, high-frequency services alongside high-commission, low-frequency options proved essential for balancing steady customer engagement with meaningful earnings.
4. Community networks reinforce last-mile impact
Trust is central to rural commerce, with women relying on existing relationships to build customer bases. Self-help groups (SHGs) are particularly effective channels for outreach and acquisition—13% of the highest-earning BCs were SHG members. These networks enhance customer loyalty, enable repeat sales, and facilitate expansion into new products. Community-led approaches foster trust and long-term engagement, making last-mile channels more resilient.
Catalytic funding as a foundation for impact
Beyond the tech-and-touch model, catalytic funding played a key role in building the infrastructure needed to scale rural distribution. Philanthropic capital absorbed experimentation costs, supported training, technology upgrades, and operational shifts, and helped establish a viable distribution network. During the program, 26 partner companies facilitated INR 611 million in transactions, with women micro and small entrepreneurs earning INR 13.5 million in commissions. This highlights both customer demand and the commercial potential of rural markets, estimated at INR 85 trillion.
The program also attracted additional support, such as returnable grants of INR 15,000 for 1,000 women through 360One, helping them purchase inventory, improve cash flow, and access formal credit. Accion provided financial literacy and business skills training, enabling confident borrowing and capital management. Frontier Markets leveraged program support to enhance technology and operational efficiency, reducing branch-level breakeven from 18 to 12 months and achieving EBITDA positivity through higher gross merchandise value and stable costs.
A scalable, replicable model
SLB:U demonstrates that rural women entrepreneurs, when supported with technology, training, and diverse product options, can effectively serve as last-mile distributors. The program increases women’s economic participation while opening rural markets to companies. It also illustrates how catalytic capital can validate innovative models and demonstrate a path to sustainability.
The next step is scaling: expanding product offerings, strengthening the enabling ecosystem, and onboarding new partners can amplify impact. Early results indicate the model is ready for replication across regions, driving meaningful economic outcomes for both women and businesses.
We invite partners interested in supporting the SLB:U women entrepreneur network and companies aiming to expand last-mile reach to connect with us for collaboration.
Companies