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  • Fix Our Climate

Frontier Markets

Frontier Markets enables 1 million women small farmers to become climate champions in rural India through technology, sustainable products and renewable energy adoption.
  • Country of Operation
    India

She-Leads Bharat: Mahila Kisaan (SLB:MK) is a joint effort by Frontier Innovations Foundation, Frontier Markets, catalytic funders, research partners and a network of agriculture, finance, and renewable energy service providers.

Through its tech-enabled “Meri Saheli” platform and network of women leaders (called Sahelis), SLB:MK cultivates an informed and empowered network focused on supporting women in agriculture, bringing catalytic capital to support the design, testing, and delivery of women centric solutions, encouraging companies to adopt a gender lens. This approach aims to drive economic resilience and transformative shifts for rural women farmers while unlocking financing opportunities.

How they are addressing Climate Change

Climate Mitigation

  • SLB:MK has enabled the avoidance of 2.69 million tonnes of CO2e emissions through the distribution of clean energy technologies—including solar torches, lanterns, lamps, street lights, and biomass cookstoves. These low-emission solutions reduce dependency on fossil fuels and promote sustainable living across rural India.

Climate Adaptation

  • Through access to climate-smart agricultural practices—including resilient seeds, solar-powered water pumps, efficient irrigation, and organic fertilizers—SLB:MK equips women smallholder farmers to adapt to shifting climate conditions. Their platform strengthens local food systems and buffers rural households against environmental stressors and erratic yields.

How they are creating Shared Economic Prosperity

Economic Wellbeing

  • Over 85,000+ Direct and Indirect Jobs created through the SLB: MK Model. With over 25,000 rural women entrepreneurs.

Equity and Access

  • SLB:MK addresses structural gender gaps in agriculture by training and digitizing 50,000 rural women and appointing 10,000 women as banking correspondents— targeting 1 million rural women entrepreneurs catering to 100 million households by 2030 – driving inclusive growth, gender equity, and climate resilience at the last mile.

Economic Resilience

  • The program strengthens rural supply chains and builds community-level resilience through diversified income opportunities, secure food production, and access to climate-resilient agri-tech. By positioning women at the center of climate adaptation, SLB:MK reduces household vulnerability to both climate and financial shocks.

Financial Inclusion

  • SLB:MK unlocks access to finance by linking rural women with digital banking and formal credit systems. Sahelis help local farmers navigate applications, bridging trust and literacy barriers. This facilitates first-time financial access for thousands of women—opening doors to savings, loans, and long-term financial security.

Learn more about Frontier Markets

Download our full report to discover the business models, financial mechanisms and investment opportunities behind Frontier Markets.

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This report was written by The Earthshot Prize and supported by Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, with contributions from CGAP.

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