CM Mann to Honour 100 Top Women Entrepreneurs With ₹25,000 Cash Prizes at State Ceremony

Punjab government’s month-long Women Entrepreneurs’ Honour Program draws over 28,000 nominations; culminating event set for March 18th under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann

CHANDIGARH — In a landmark celebration of women’s enterprise and financial independence, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will personally honour the top 100 women entrepreneurs from across Punjab at a grand state-level ceremony scheduled for March 18th. Each honouree will receive a cash prize of ₹25,000 in recognition of her entrepreneurial achievements — a moment that marks the culmination of the AAP government’s ambitious Women Entrepreneurs’ Honour Program.

Launched to coincide with International Women’s Day, the initiative has garnered an overwhelming response, receiving over 28,000 nominations through the Punjab State Rural Livelihoods Mission portal — a figure that underscores the surging momentum of women’s entrepreneurship across the state.

A Three-Stage Felicitation Framework

The recognition program is being conducted in three progressive stages, each building toward the state-level finale. In the first phase, held from March 2nd to 6th, ceremonies were conducted in all 117 assembly constituencies across Punjab. At each constituency event, 100 women entrepreneurs from both rural and urban backgrounds were felicitated for their contributions to self-reliance and community development, bringing the constituency-level total to approximately 11,700 honoured women.

The second stage will see district-level recognition ceremonies held across Punjab’s 23 districts, where 100 outstanding entrepreneurs per district — 2,300 in total — will be selected from the constituency honourees for further recognition.

The program will reach its pinnacle on March 18th, when the top 100 women will be honoured by Chief Minister Mann, each receiving the ₹25,000 cash prize.

Celebrating Women Beyond March 8th

The Punjab government has been deliberate in framing this initiative not as a single-day observance, but as a month-long commitment to women’s empowerment. Women engaged in small businesses, home-based industries, agriculture-related enterprises, and various service sectors have all been eligible for nomination.

By embedding financial recognition into the program’s design, the government aims to provide tangible support to women entrepreneurs while inspiring a new generation to pursue self-reliance and business ownership.