AU Foundation, the social responsibility arm of AU Small Finance Bank (AU SFB), one of India’s largest small finance banks, has been honoured by the Agriculture Department of the Government of Rajasthan for its efforts to empower women farmers in the Sambhar region through the AU Udyogini initiative. The recognition highlights AU Foundation’s efforts to build sustainable, women-led livelihood models through Khejri Mahila Producer Company Limited, a women-led Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) operating under the Maa Annapurna brand since 2022.
Under this initiative, women farmers are provided with training, agricultural inputs, crop management support, and market linkages, enabling them to participate across every stage of the agricultural value chain. The project promotes collective enterprise, improved livelihoods, and greater financial independence among rural women. The model integrates capacity building, cultivation, procurement, and market access, enabling women to move beyond being beneficiaries and become active stakeholders in a community-owned agricultural ecosystem.
AU Udyogini, the women entrepreneurship initiative of AU Foundation, provides women with pathways towards economic independence and community-led development. To date, more than 6,000 rural women have been trained under AU Udyogini through collective and individual enterprise initiatives.
