SARAS Shakti Initiative for Rural Women Entrepreneurs

SARAS Shakti Initiative for Rural Women Entrepreneurs

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Why in News

  • The Ministry of Rural Development launched the SARAS Shakti Collection and the SARAS Shakti Coffee Table Book at the Rashtriya Gramin Vikas Sammelan (RGVS) 2026.

What is SARAS Shakti?

  • This is a key branding and marketing initiative created under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
  • It displays high quality goods produced by women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to encourage rural business ownership and reach more buyers.

Aims of the Initiative

  • It seeks to empower women driven rural businesses by providing proper branding, product advertising, and stronger sales networks.
  • It aims to place SHG products in high end consumer and corporate markets while helping fulfill the goals of Lakhpati Didis and Viksit Bharat.

Key Features

  • The curated collection highlights top quality handloom items, handicrafts, clothing, health products, home decorations, and regional food items made by women SHGs.
  • The SARAS Shakti Coffee Table Book records the wide variety, craft quality, real success stories, and market scope of women led businesses across India.
  • The market access platform improves the packaging, branding, online marketing, and institutional buyers network for items made in villages.
  • The program directly assists more than 10 crore women connected with SHGs under DAY-NRLM, helping them build stable income sources and self reliance.

Significance

  • It boosts female business ownership, increases village earnings, and helps reach the national target of making 6 crore Lakhpati Didis by 2029.
  • It raises public awareness of local handmade products, keeping traditional crafts alive while opening new national and corporate markets.