VIJAYAWADA: The Centre will adopt Andhra Pradesh’s model for marketing products made by women’s self-help groups (SHGs), while the National SARAS Mela-2026 will provide specialised training to 15,000 women in the State to strengthen their entrepreneurial skills and expand market opportunities, said Sivaraj Singh Chouhan, Minister for Rural Development, Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.
Addressing the mela’s inauguration in Vijayawada, Chouhan said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu were committed to ensuring financial independence for SHG women. He said Chandrababu was strengthening DWCRA groups through technological support and noted that Andhra Pradesh had 11 lakh SHGs and was at the forefront of developing Lakhpati Didis.
Chouhan said SHE Marts would help market SHG products on a larger scale, enabling rural women to establish sustainable businesses, improve their incomes and contribute to the vision of Viksit Bharat. He emphasised that women’s economic empowerment was essential for building a developed India.
Pemmasani said around 3.5 crore women had become Lakhpati Didis against Prime Minister Modi’s target of six crore. SHGs had received loans totalling approximately Rs 13 lakh crore, reflecting their growing role in the rural economy. He said rural women could become successful entrepreneurs and provide employment to hundreds of families if they received adequate opportunities, training and financial assistance.
He said around 1,500 women representatives from different States were showcasing handicrafts, handloom products and traditional items at the mela, being held in Vijayawada outside Delhi for the first time.
The training programme over the next 15 days would focus on improving product quality, packaging and branding, connecting SHGs with major businesses and retail markets, and expanding online sales. The mela would serve not only as a sales platform but also as a centre for skill development and marketing training.
Pemmasani said AP’s initiative to waive processing, inspection and documentation charges on loans up to Rs 20 lakh had helped each SHG save around Rs 33,000. The Centre had extended the model to other States, he added.
