President Murmu Meets 1500 Women Entrepreneurs at National SARAS Mela

By: Women Entrepreneurs Review Team | Friday, 16 October 2026

The National SARAS Mela in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh brought together around 1500 rural women entrepreneurs from 34 States and UTs to display and promote rural products and increase market access, thereby fostering women's economic empowerment. President Droupadi Murmu also attended the event, and visited the stalls and interacted with Lakhpati Didis and women entrepreneurs taking part in the national exhibition.

The mela, organised by the Union Ministry of Rural Development and the Andhra Pradesh government, has over 650 stalls selling goods produced by women from the Self-Help Groups (SHGs). The exhibition will continue through Oct 31, allowing rural entrepreneurs to connect with consumers and grow their small business.

Key Highlights

• President Murmu interacts with 1,500 women entrepreneurs at SARAS Mela
• Over 650 stalls showcase products from women-led Self-Help Groups nationwide
• More than 10 crore women participate in 90 lakh SHGs

President Droupadi stated that more than 10 crore women are associated with over 90 lakh Self-Help Groups across India. Groups have provided livelihood opportunities, helped improve the incomes of households and enabled women to become more active in rural economic development.

The President further emphasized the need for women's empowerment and financial independence and pointed out that women's empowerment is also reflected in their ability to manage their income and assets. Her comments emphasized the importance of making sure women earn a livelihood and have the freedom to make financial choices and have greater control over household resources.

She also highlighted the need to reinforce support networks at the community level to address the domestic responsibilities of rural women and facilitate their participation in entrepreneurship and in the labour market.

The Lakhpati Didi program is the example of this, highlighting that women are making their presence felt in the growing sectors like digital services and renewable energy in the rural areas, Droupadi said. These can be used to build skills, to diversify livelihoods and generate sustainable income.

The President noted that rural women are no longer only being seen as beneficiaries of government welfare schemes but are increasingly becoming wealth creators and contributors to economic development.

SHG is one of the key players in this shift who helps the women to organise in groups, work on producing products and accessing livelihood opportunities. By achieving greater market exposure, it can further empower women-led businesses and help them grow.

The National SARAS Mela is an opportunity for women entrepreneurs from various parts of the country to feature their products, interact directly with the consumers and discuss further opportunities to reach out larger customer base. The exhibition also showcases the variety of products that have been created by SHG members in India.

First-hand contact with the buyers can enhance the visibility of rural products, gain insight into consumers' preferences and create new business networks. This exposure can help women-led businesses connect with and sell to markets outside of their local community.

President Murmu observed that SARAS Melas are evolving into important rural marketplaces that can extend development opportunities to villages and households.

As India works towards its Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, the event highlights the role of women’s entrepreneurship, financial inclusion and rural enterprise development in strengthening local economies.