Nine states bet $18 billion on women's empowerment: Goldman Sachs

Nine Indian states with ongoing or proposed cash transfer schemes for women have collectively allocated $18 billion in their 2024-25 Budget Estimates, amounting to 0.5 per cent of India’s gross domestic product (GDP) for the same financial year, according to research by Goldman Sachs.

 

Cash transfer schemes have emerged as a powerful strategy for ruling state governments to attract women voters, often influencing election outcomes. These initiatives played a pivotal role in the recent electoral sweep by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra. 

 

Among these schemes is Maharashtra’s Ladki Bahin Yojana, launched by chief minister