SARAS Shakti, a core initiative under DAY-NRLM, empowers rural women by connecting Self-Help Groups to premium markets. It leverages digital platforms like eSARAS and ONDC to enhance incomes, promote authentic handicrafts, and drive inclusive economic growth across India.
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 in New Delhi.
What is SARAS Shakti?
SARAS Shakti promotes products made by women SHGs and enhances their economic empowerment through improved market access and livelihood opportunities.
The program builds upon the success of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
Objectives
Why is SARAS Shakti Important?
Women Empowerment: It integrates over 10 crore women organized into SHGs under DAY-NRLM into the formal economy.
Poverty Reduction: It functions as an economic multiplier by removing intermediaries, allowing women to command better profit margins via digital and physical storefronts.
Livelihood Transformation: It systematically transforms traditional, unorganized skills into sustainable businesses and formal enterprises.
Geographical Inclusion: It covers artisans from 7,627 blocks nationwide.
Grassroots Entrepreneurship: It shifts the narrative of rural women from wage earners to powerful job creators.
Heritage Preservation: It protects and monetizes diverse traditions, including Chanderi sarees (Madhya Pradesh), Pashmina (Jammu & Kashmir), and Ikat (Telangana).
Digital Integration: It connects over 8.62 crore women SHG members to a direct digital storefront via the eSARAS ecosystem.
What are the Key Features of Saras Shakti?
SHG Product Promotion It features curated, authentic handlooms, handicrafts, textiles, wellness products, home décor, and traditional foods.
Market Linkage: It links grassroots artisans to national ecosystems, including the SARAS Aajeevika Gallery and physical SARAS Melas, which generate over ₹200 crore annually.
Skill Development: It emphasizes product development, branding, and systematic packaging to meet premium market standards.
Digital Infrastructure: It utilizes the eSARAS platform and integrates with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) to expose products to over 20 crore potential buyers across 11+ applications.
Logistics Support: The eSARAS Fulfilment Centre provides end-to-end logistics, from processing and packaging to nationwide shipping.
UMANG Integration: It lists the eSARAS marketplace on UMANG to maximize visibility across India's Digital Public Infrastructure.
What Benefits Does Saras Shakti Offer?
Income Growth: It converts traditional crafts into premium-priced assets, directly increasing household income.
Financial Independence: It ensures direct, unmediated earnings for over 3 crore women entrepreneurs scaling toward Lakhpati Didi status.
Employment Generation: It sparks robust job creation at the village level, supporting the "Viksit Gram" mandate.
Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) Models: It allows women to bypass middlemen and retain maximum profits.
Community Support: It relies on a network of 1.51 crore community cadre members to foster socio-economic growth.
Brand Identity: It leverages government-secured trademarks like SARAS, SARAS Aajeevika, and Aajeevika to provide a trusted national identity.
Corporate Procurement: The SARAS Shakti Collection acts as an elite gifting solution, opening lucrative procurement channels.
Source: PIB
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PRACTICE QUESTION Q. "Women-led Self-Help Groups have emerged as powerful instruments of socio-economic transformation in rural India." Discuss. (150 Words, 10 Marks) |
SARAS Shakti is a branding and marketing initiative under DAY-NRLM launched to showcase premium products made by women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and position them in institutional and consumer markets.
It helps SHGs by cutting out middlemen and providing direct market access through physical platforms (like the SARAS Aajeevika Gallery) and digital platforms (like eSARAS). It assists with systematic branding, packaging, and digital marketing.
The Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) is the parent institutional framework that organizes rural women into SHGs, provides enterprise financing, and builds community cadres to support sustainable livelihoods.
SHGs drive inclusive economic growth by enhancing household income, generating local employment, fostering financial independence among rural women, and preserving authentic regional crafts such as Chanderi sarees and Pashmina.
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