Before the draft agreement was prepared, the Deputy Chief Minister held joint meetings and emphasized the interests of women, transparency, and adherence to timelines — Keshav Maurya.

The Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission (UPSRLM) and the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow have joined forces to empower rural women in the state economically and transform their small-scale businesses into robust enterprises. On Friday, an agreement was signed between IIM Lucknow’s Enterprise Incubation Center (IIML-EIC) and the UPSRLM for a 'Rural Enterprise Incubation Program.' The agreement was signed by IIM Lucknow Director Yamini Bhushan Pandey and Mission Director Arun Kumar.

Prior to the finalization of the agreement, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya held a joint meeting with the concerned officials and institutions regarding this initiative. He gave clear instructions that the interests of rural women must remain paramount in the program's framework. He emphasized that transparency should be maintained at every stage—from the selection process to the provision of financial assistance and training—and that the entire process must be completed in a time-bound manner.

The Deputy Chief Minister stated that the economic development of women is his top priority. Women associated with Self-Help Groups (SHGs) possess the capability to run enterprises and the drive to work hard. What they need is access to proper training, technical knowledge, markets, and capital. The government’s objective is to ensure that rural women are not merely limited to earning a basic livelihood, but instead become successful entrepreneurs who can, in turn, provide employment to others.