Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], February 27 (ANI): Inaugurating Mission Shakti Bazar (MSB) here on Tuesday, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said that it will be a strong platform to support sustainable livelihoods for women in rural and semi-urban areas of the state. It has been developed under the 5T initiative to promote entrepreneurship for women, the Chief Minister’s office said.
5T and Nabin Odisha Chairman Kartik Pandian had visited the MSB on February 19 to oversee the final round of preparations before inauguration. The MSB is a state-of-the-art boutique store for display and sale of curated Mission Shakti Self Help Group (SHG) products from all over the state.
“It is owned and operated by a producer Company of SHGs called Khordha Matrushakti Farmers Producers Company Ltd. It has as its shareholders nearly 200 SHGs, producer groups, and producer companies comprising SHGs,” the Chief Minister’s office said. The inclusive ownership structure will gradually involve lakhs of women who wish to have a sale platform for their products.
Through KMFP Company, the Department of Mission Shakti aims to unlock market potential and promote women-led and women-run businesses in Odisha. To support the producer company, Kalgudi has been engaged as the technical service agency.
The main aim of this Bazar is to provide a sales platform for Mission Shakti products, ensuring sustainable markets and competitive prices. It will also generate consumer interest in many products that are not available year-round in urban centres .
The bazaar will source farm and non-farm products from SHGs. It will also have an E-commerce portal, offering women the opportunity to venture into entrepreneurship through an online marketplace.
Some of the main attractions are Dhinki-Kuta rice (hand-pound rice), Kandhamal Haldi, Kotpad sarees, Dongria shawls, dhokra crafts, handmade kansa cutlery items (brass), golden grass and sabai crafts, and so on.
In the long run, the display of SHG products in a centralised place will also attract bulk buyers.
It will help build value chains of products and encourage product standardisation, helping the producer SHGs gain better prices. 5T Chairman Kartik Pandian, Mission Shakti Commissioner and Secretary Sujata Rout Kartikeyan were present among others. (ANI)
