Understanding the SubhadraYojana's Contribution to Women's Economic Empowerment in Odisha

India, being a welfare state, holds the responsibility of uplifting its weaker and vulnerable sections. In line with this commitment, both the Central and State Governments have introduced various social welfare initiatives. One of the most recent and ambitious among them is the Subhadra Scheme, launched in Odisha on September 17, 2024, coinciding with the 74th birthday of the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi. This scheme marks a historic move by the newly elected government of Odisha, aiming to economically empower rural women. It is considered one of the largest women-centric welfare programs in the state, with an estimated financial outlay of over ₹65,000 crore. Under this scheme, each eligible woman beneficiary will receive ₹5,000 every six months for a period of five years, totalling ₹ 50,000 per individual. The core objective of the Subhadra Yojana is to empower rural women to become self-reliant and contribute to their household income. It encourages them to become entrepreneurs by setting up small and cottage industries without depending on financial institutions or bank loans. Women are now forming groups of 4-5 members to run these small-scale businesses, promoting the ‘local to vocal’ initiative and contributing to the global market in their unique ways. This paper seeks to explore the concept and intended outcomes of the Subhadra Scheme, analysing its impact based on official state documents, government bulletins, and published reports from news outlets and research agencies. The study focuses on the socio-economic transformation this scheme aims to bring, particularly among the rural female population of Odisha