Since 1993, IMSE is engaged in Self-Help Group (SHGs) promotion programmes for gainful self-employment of the non-farm rural workers, particularly women. SHG promotion entails providing tangible and intangible support to poor women, in order to encourage entrepreneurship among poor rural women, in tandem with existing government programme. Major focus is on value added products and marketing, where SHG women are still lagging behind. Hence IMSE has started a brand Craftgenic for rural artisans and to connect buyers and producers directly.

SHG Programme emphasizes on building capacity of a micro-entrepreneur, employment-generation, trust-building and hand-holding support to the micro-entrepreneur on initiation and during difficult times. The SHGs, through their 14-point programme, also encourage poor rural women to develop health-seeking behaviour and fight back social evils of illiteracy, dowry, early marriage, alcoholism and so on. Altogether 43,000 women are members of IMSE's women's organisation across 25 clusters in 3 states of India: West Bengal, Jharkhand and Orissa. The clusters are situated in rural areas only.