VIJAYAWADA: The first National Saras Mela to be organised outside the Delhi-NCR region is under way at Punnami Ghat in Vijayawada and will continue till October 31. Organised by the Ministry of Rural Development in association with the AP government, NABARD, NIRDPR and Kudumbashree, the event showcases traditional crafts and the success stories of women entrepreneurs who achieved the Lakhpati Didi milestone.
At the Lakhpati Didi Pavilion, four women entrepreneurs shared their journeys from self-help group members to successful business owners. Chandrakala from Tirupati expanded her family’s woodcarving enterprise into a Rs 1-crore-plus business employing over 100 people. Siddhi from Goa built a thriving ethnic wear venture with annual turnover of Rs 60 lakh.
Kunwari of Jharkhand transformed a small savings initiative into a farmer producer organisation with over 1,500 members, generating monthly sales of Rs 6 lakh to Rs 7 lakh.
S Parwathi from Anakapalli developed a cashew processing enterprise with an annual turnover of around Rs 50 lakh.
A Lakhpati Didi is a woman from a self-help group household earning at least Rs 1 lakh annually. The initiative forms part of PM Modi’s vision of creating six crore Lakhpati Didis by 2029.
