SARAS Mela opens credit, market doors for rural women
In Short
Stree Nidhi Credit Cooperative Federation Limited, Andhra Pradesh, showcased its institutional credit facilities, setting a target of disbursing Rs 12,000 crore in 2026–27.
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An interactive session organised with SHG women and Lakhpati Didis at SARAS Ajeevika Mela–2026 in Vijayawada on Friday
Vijayawada: The first national SARAS Ajeevika Mela–2026 at Punnami Ghat here is providing a platform for self-help group (SHG) women and rural entrepreneurs to access credit, explore business opportunities and promote traditional crafts.
Stree Nidhi Credit Cooperative Federation Limited, Andhra Pradesh, showcased its institutional credit facilities, setting a target of disbursing Rs 12,000 crore in 2026–27.
Of this, Rs 9,000 crore has been earmarked for livelihood loans and Rs 3,000 crore for enterprise loans. The initiative aims to help women expand their existing livelihoods and set up sustainable micro-enterprises, particularly in food processing and value addition.
The State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC) convened by Union Bank of India, organised an interactive session with SHG women and Lakhpati Didis at the Learning and Knowledge Pavilion.
NTR district collector Dr G Lakshmisha and representatives of Union Bank of India, Stree Nidhi and the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) took part in the programme. The session familiarised participants with SHG credit facilities and schemes such as Lakhpati Didi, MUDRA, the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) and the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme. Women entrepreneurs who had successfully built their businesses shared their experiences and explained how access to finance had helped them expand their ventures.
Meanwhile, the ministry of textiles, through the Weavers Service Centre (WSC) and the National Handloom Development Corporation (NHDC) in Vijayawada, organised awareness programmes for SARAS Mela exhibitors on October 23 and 24. Live loom demonstrations and sessions on government support schemes familiarised artisans and weavers with opportunities to strengthen their businesses.
The programmes covered the National Handloom Development Programme, Raw Material Supply Scheme, IndiaHandmade portal, Handloom Mark, India Handloom Brand, Weavers MUDRA and the e-Dhaga mobile application. The sessions also enabled artisans to discuss their problems and seek guidance on the assistance available to them.
The initiatives, involving the ministry of rural development, DAY-NRLM, SERP/APSRLM, banking institutions and the ministry of textiles, seek to improve women’s access to finance and markets, encourage rural entrepreneurship and support traditional handloom livelihoods.
