The Confederation of Women Entrepreneurship (COWE) Trade Carnival 2013 was inaugurated by the Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Dr D Purandeswari at Sathya Sai Nigamagamam on Thursday. Emphasizing on ‘Gearing women on Social Entrepreneurship’ in India, the trade carnival brings together women initiatives from different states.
COWE has been collaborating with the National Small Industries Corporation for the last six years with the agreement of promoting raw materials at subsidised rates in different places of the country and abroad. Merchants at the carnival have gathered from across the country, including Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Maharashtra and have put on display products like designer wear, fashion accessories, handicrafts, home decor items, nourishments and so on in over 76 stalls.
Besides just financial stability and independence, the four-day carnival aims at empowering women with some business acumen as well.
“Business skills and technological upgradation is a rewarding factor. Economical development is the other feature which makes one strong, a factor that needs to be cultivated to a larger extent,” Purandeswari said.
A stall with plastic bags, made by up-cycling of plastic wastes, is a special feature. “We don’t rely on technical machines but instead want to boost cottage industries through human resource. A man power of 525 women, who have served time for various illicit acts, are working as social entrepreneurs in our organization,” said Dr Mangalam Balasubramaniam of project AVTHAR.
The trade carnival will be open to public from 10 am to 8 pm till June 10.