&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Union Budget 2026: Sitharaman announces 'She-MART retail outlets, hostel facilities for women")
India's Union Budget 2026-2027 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has proposed to establish 'She-MARTS' to empower women entrepreneurs. Speaking in the Parliament on Sunday (Feb 1) Sitharaman said, ‘SHE marts’ will be set up as a community owned retail outlets.
The central government will partner with state governments to realise this alongside taking other initiatives like promoting sandalwood cultivation.
Hostel facilities for women
Other women centric initiative announced by the Finance Minister is about a plan to set up hostel facilities for women students across the country.
“Through VGF (viability gap funding) and capital support, one girls hostel will be established in every district," said Sitharaman in her speech.
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While making the announcement, she highlighted constraints faced by women in advanced studies due the lack of such facilities.
“In higher education, STEM institutions, prolonged hours of study and laboratory work pose some challenges to girl students."
ALSO READ: Budget 2026: FM Sitharaman confirms India's new Income Tax act to take effect from THIS date
Sitharaman also spoke of setting up new academic clusters near key economic hubs. “Our government will support states in creating five university townships in the vicinity of major industrial and logistics corridor,” Sitharaman said.
These zones will host multiple colleges, institutions and research institutions, skill centres and residential complexes as proposed by the FM.
This was Sitharaman's ninth consecutive budget, which is a record. With this she also inches closer to presenting the maximum number of budgets (10) held in the name of former Prime Minister Morarji Desai.
