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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWith more than 450 stalls<\/strong> organised across state pavilions, the mela is described as a \u201cMini India\u201d<\/em><\/strong> that presents region-specific products rooted in local traditions and artisanal skills. Visitors encountered Pashmina shawls<\/em><\/strong> from Kashmir, silk textiles<\/em><\/strong> from Tamil Nadu<\/strong>, embroidered poshaks<\/em><\/strong> from Rajasthan<\/strong>, and bamboo crafts<\/em><\/strong> from Assam<\/strong>, alongside regional foods, handicrafts, <\/strong>and cultural performances<\/strong>. Beyond its cultural vibrancy<\/strong>, the mela illustrates a structured market linkage model within livelihood promotion frameworks. It demonstrates how curated urban exhibitions can enhance income opportunities, enable direct-to-consumer sales, strengthen brand visibility<\/strong> for SHG products, and promote women-led micro-enterprises<\/strong> within a formalised marketplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond the visual appeal of crafts and textiles, the mela foregrounds narratives of institutional support <\/strong>and socio-economic transformation<\/strong>. At one stall, the distinctive golden hue of Assam\u2019s Muga silk<\/strong> immediately draws attention. A Geographical Indication (GI)-recognised product, Muga silk<\/em><\/strong> is uniquely produced in Assam and represents a long-standing handloom tradition. Najitra Didi<\/em><\/strong> manages the stall<\/em><\/strong> from Lakhimpur district, representing the Hariyani Mising Gaon Mohila SHG<\/strong>. Since 1984, she has trained over 25,000 women<\/strong> and supported them in obtaining artisan cards and formal market linkages. She has played a catalytic role in training rural women artisans<\/strong>, equipping them not only with weaving skills but also with knowledge of pricing strategies, consumer preferences, <\/strong>and market dynamics. <\/strong>Many <\/strong>of the artisans she mentors have limited mobility and limited linguistic exposure beyond their villages. Therefore, by accompanying them, she is facilitating communication, negotiation, <\/strong>and market access<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Displaying handwoven Muga silk sarees priced between \u20b930,000 <\/strong>and \u20b970,000<\/strong>, she notes a significant shift in consumer demand towards authentic handloom products<\/strong> over machine-made alternatives. Within the initial days of the mela, her stall recorded sales exceeding \u20b93 lakh<\/strong>. The Muga silk on display thus represents not merely a textile product, but the cumulative outcome of mentorship, collective organisation<\/strong>, and the revitalisation of traditional craft economies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A few rows away, a steady stream of visitors gathers around a food stall managed by Suparna Didi<\/em><\/strong> from West Bengal<\/strong>, drawn by the aroma of freshly prepared traditional snacks. Formerly managing household responsibilities while supplementing income through irregular insurance work<\/strong>, she sought greater financial stability and autonomy. In 2011<\/strong>, she mobilised ten women to form a Self-Help Group (SHG), initiating small-scale production of papads<\/em> <\/strong>and regional food items<\/strong> within home-based kitchens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Over time, her enterprise expanded, and she now coordinates multiple SHGs within her gram panchayat. In just a week at the fair, she has sold goods worth over \u20b9<\/strong>50,000<\/strong>, with profit margins of 60\u2013<\/strong>70 percent over production cost<\/strong>. The production model remains decentralised; women prepare goods at home, which are subsequently aggregated, packaged, <\/strong>and marketed collectively.<\/strong> <\/strong>This system has been strengthened through capacity-building and financial support from the District Rural Development Cell<\/strong>. Participation in exhibitions across Delhi, Noida, Punjab, and Darjeeling has enabled average earnings of approximately \u20b91 lakh<\/strong> per event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the transformation extends beyond income generation. SHG meetings function as spaces of mutual support, where women deliberate on household concerns<\/strong>, social constraints, <\/strong>and personal aspirations<\/strong>. Suparna Didi<\/em><\/strong> also highlights her daughter\u2019s growing success in pottery, with products showcased at domestic <\/strong>and international fairs.<\/strong> What began as an effort toward financial independence has evolved into a broader process of intergenerational empowerment<\/strong>, illustrating how collective enterprise<\/strong> can reshape social and economic trajectories<\/strong> for rural women and their families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At another stall, jute mats, wooden kitchen implements<\/strong>, and handcrafted items<\/strong> are systematically displayed under the stewardship of Shobhita Didi<\/em><\/strong> from West Bengal<\/strong>. She initiated her Self-Help Group (SHG) in 2006 with ten members and has since expanded her leadership to encompass 374 SHGs<\/strong> across the district. Her entrepreneurial trajectory was catalysed by training received under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana\u2013National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM)<\/strong>, through which she developed technical proficiency in jute craftsmanship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Subsequently, she established a production workshop employing local women artisans<\/strong> and sourcing raw jute<\/strong> directly from nearby farmers, thereby fostering an integrated local demand-and-supply chain that reinforces rural economic linkages.<\/strong> In 2023, she diversified into wood-based handicrafts<\/strong>, producing functional household items, including combs and kitchen tools. Access to institutional credit <\/strong>and government subsidies<\/strong> facilitated business expansion, while digital payment systems, including UPI, streamlined financial transactions. In addition to participating in government-organised fairs, she collaborates with non-government organizations that distribute her products in urban markets such as Jaipur and Delhi. Her progression illustrates the evolution of skill-based training<\/strong> into a decentralised rural enterprise ecosystem<\/strong> anchored in collective production, local value chains, and digital financial inclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Adjacent to the demonstration area, visitors assemble around a display where intricate motifs<\/strong> are crafted from golden rice straw<\/strong>. Jyotsna Didi <\/em><\/strong>from Hooghly, West Bengal<\/strong>, is recognised as India\u2019s first woman practitioner of natural paddy straw painting. After joining a Self-Help Group (SHG) in 2013 and receiving formal handicraft training, she began experimenting with rice-straw art<\/strong> in 2015. She now trains and engages 15\u201316 women artisans<\/strong> who produce detailed designs from their homes, which she aggregates and markets at exhibitions nationwide. Her enterprise exemplifies the transformation of agricultural residue<\/strong> into value-added artistic products<\/strong>, illustrating how innovation can emerge from the creative reinterpretation of existing resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The mela\u2019s demonstration and live learning zone<\/strong> further reinforces this ethos of skill visibility <\/strong>and knowledge transmission<\/strong>. Visitors, including children, observe potters shaping clay, artisans practising mirror embroidery, and bamboo weavers at work. By foregrounding the production process alongside the finished goods, the fair underscores the labour, craftsmanship, <\/strong>and cultural heritage<\/strong> embedded in each product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Within the Maharashtra<\/strong> pavilion, members of the Sanjeevani Mahila SHG<\/strong> from Nagpur<\/strong> showcase cotton shirts and sarees manufactured in their rural production unit. What originated as small-scale tailoring<\/strong> has evolved into a structured enterprise employing over 30 women<\/strong>. With institutional support from the Maharashtra State Rural Livelihood Mission (MSRLM) and the local administration, the group received skill training, access to machinery, <\/strong>and market facilitation.<\/strong> The initiative has provided stable employment to economically vulnerable women<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The enterprise sources cotton<\/strong> from local farms practising mixed cropping, thereby integrating primary agriculture with value addition at the village level. Cotton shirts are priced at approximately \u20b9600, while sarees range between \u20b92,000 <\/strong>and \u20b95,000<\/strong>. Participation in exhibitions across major cities can yield seasonal revenues of \u20b98-<\/strong>9 lakh<\/strong>. For members, empowerment manifests in tangible terms: regular income, collective enterprise management, technical proficiency<\/strong> with modern machinery, and enhanced confidence derived from formal production <\/strong>and market engagement<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another pavilion from Assam<\/strong> features meticulously crafted bamboo bags<\/strong> that reflect both traditional skill and contemporary design sensibilities. Vishakha Didi,<\/em><\/strong> who joined a Self-Help Group (SHG) in 2014<\/strong>, revitalised her father-in-law\u2019s bamboo craft enterprise by introducing product innovations and leveraging expanded market access. With government financial assistance<\/strong> and exposure through exhibitions, including participation in the India International Trade Fair 2025 in Delhi, she scaled her business to achieve sales exceeding \u20b92 lakh.<\/strong> Her trajectory illustrates how education, institutional facilitation, and market linkages can modernise inherited crafts and transform them into viable, growth-oriented enterprises<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond its commercial dimension, the SARAS Mela<\/strong> functions as a structured capacity-building platform. At the Knowledge and Learning Pavilion, women participate in workshops on packaging, branding, proposal development, <\/strong>and digital marketing strategies<\/strong>. Dedicated sessions on logistics and transportation management equip them with the skills to distribute products efficiently across domestic and international markets<\/strong>. Collaborations with e-commerce platforms<\/strong> and awareness initiatives around the E-SARAS portal<\/strong> are designed to extend market access beyond the fair’s duration, ensuring continuity in sales <\/strong>and enterprise sustainability.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As evening descends and the mela lights illuminate the park, the fair emerges as a microcosm of rural enterprise and collective aspiration. Visitors depart with handloom textiles, crafts, <\/strong>and regional foods<\/strong>, and with inspiring stories of mentorship, entrepreneurship, <\/strong>and community-driven innovation<\/strong> rooted in tradition and shared prosperity. In a fast-paced urban setting, the SARAS Aajeevika Mela<\/strong> creates space to recognise the labour, resilience, <\/strong>and livelihoods<\/strong> embedded in each stall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reference<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ministry of Rural Development<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/static.pib.gov.in\/WriteReadData\/userfiles\/image\/image004AQ6I.png\")
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