Saras Mela

Why is in news? Union Minister of State for Rural Development Shri Faggan Singh Kulaste inaugurates the Saras Food Festival-2022

Government today said that efforts are on to have at least 25% of all sales by women self-help groups through e-commerce portals annually.

This was stated by Union Minister of State for Rural Development and Steel, while inaugurating “SARAS FOOD FESTIVAL, 2022”.

On this occasion, the Minister also launched the e-commerce portal www.esaras.in for better and more effective marketing of Saras products prepared by women of self-help groups.

The Saras Food Festival is a unique example of women’s empowerment. Women from self-help groups, formed under the flagship program ‘National Rural Livelihoods Mission’ of the Union Ministry of Rural Development are participating in this festival.

Ministry of Rural Development will take steps to establish Saras stalls by women SHGs in all State capitals, major cities and metros, airports and railway stations for widening the reach of marketing. And more and more people will be exposed to ethnic and home-made handicrafts, paintings, toys, food and other items.

The Saras Food Festival-2022 has been organized in the national capital by the Union Ministry of Rural Development from 28th October, 2022 to 10th November, 2022 at Handicraft Bhawan, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Connaught Place, New Delhi.

About 150 women entrepreneurs and members of self-help groups from 18 states are participating in this event which gives them an opportunity to showcase their skills in the field of food making and introduce people to the food culture of our country.

These SHG women are proficient in making rural products and preparing traditional dishes of their states. Other skilled people across the country are also participating in this grand event.

SARAS Mela:

SARAS Mela is an initiative by the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Government of India with an objective to bring the rural women SHG members formed under DAY-NRLM, in one platform to showcase their skills, sell and build linkages with potential market players.

The Fair aims to eradicate middlemen between the craftsperson and the local buyers and ensures to increase the margins for the artisans.

SARAS Fair also aims at facilitating and motivating the beneficiaries of Self Help Groups (SHGs) supported by DAYNRLM schemes of Ministry of Rural Development to exhibit and sell their products and provide them with an opportunity for additional income, exposure, and interaction on a large scale.

SARAS Mela not only provides a platform to these SHG women, but it also provides a national level exposure to understand the demand and taste of the urban customers in metros.

The SARAS IITF Mela is being organized by the Council for Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology (CAPART) along with DAY-NRLM, MoRD.