National SARAS Mela opens in Vijayawada with focus on scaling SHG enterprises
Vijayawada: President Droupadi Murmu on Friday inaugurated the first national edition of the SARAS Mela 2026 at Punnami Ghat in Vijayawada, an event designed to connect women-led Self-Help Group (SHG) enterprises with institutional buyers, business partners and market opportunities.
Organised by the Union Ministry of Rural Development in collaboration with the Andhra Pradesh government, the mela has drawn more than 1,500 women entrepreneurs representing SHGs from 32 states and Union Territories. The exhibition runs at Punnami Ghat until 31 October and marks the first time the national edition has been hosted outside the Delhi-NCR region.
Objectives and government programmes on display
Officials said the SARAS Mela aims to help rural, women-led enterprises move beyond local markets by facilitating direct engagement with businesses, institutional buyers and other market participants. Alongside exhibition stalls, the event features capacity-building sessions in branding, packaging, digital skills, financial literacy, credit access, export marketing and government procurement procedures.
"Women’s Self-Help Groups had made a significant contribution to the rural economy,"
The President highlighted the scale of participation in SHGs, noting that more than 10 crore women are associated with these groups and that their involvement is contributing to household economic empowerment, according to the event statement. The mela coincides with Centre initiatives such as the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) and the Lakhpati Didi programme, which aims to enable three crore women to attain sustainable annual household incomes of at least ₹1 lakh by 2027.
Local impact and commercial opportunities
For Vijayawada and the broader Krishna district, hosting the mela is expected to increase footfall at Punnami Ghat and create short-term demand for services such as logistics, hospitality and local handicraft supply chains. The national platform also offers participating SHGs access to buyers and procurement channels that could translate into repeat orders and longer-term market linkages.
- Scale: 1,500+ women entrepreneurs from 32 states/UTs.
- Duration: Event runs through 31 October at Punnami Ghat.
- Policy links: DAY-NRLM and Lakhpati Didi target higher household incomes for SHG members.
Numbers at a glance
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Women entrepreneurs at mela | 1,500+ |
| States & UTs represented | 32 |
| SHG women nationally | 10 crore+ |
| Target under Lakhpati Didi | 3 crore women; ₹1 lakh annual household income by 2027 |
Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Minister of State for Rural Development Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani were present at the inauguration and underlined the government's emphasis on women’s economic participation. The organisers said the mela's mix of sales, buyer-seller interactions and skill sessions is intended to move SHG products from local or regional markets into institutional and export channels.
For local entrepreneurs and suppliers in Vijayawada, officials said the event presents immediate sales opportunities as well as potential long-term benefits if SHG groups secure institutional procurement contracts. Municipal and state agencies are coordinating logistics and visitor management at Punnami Ghat while the Union ministry oversees buyer facilitation and training modules.
Organisers will monitor outcomes such as number of buyer-seller meetings held, orders placed and credit linkages created during the mela to assess its effectiveness in creating sustainable market access for SHG enterprises. The national edition in Vijayawada aims to set a precedent for holding future SARAS events in locations beyond the national capital to broaden regional market integration for women’s micro-enterprises.
