JKRLM signs pact with Meesho to empower 1,800 SHG members
Partnership will help in building lives and livelihoods: Lt Guv
Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir rural livelihoods mission (Umeed) and e-commerce firm Meesho have signed an agreement to support the growth of 1,800 self-help group (SHG) members by providing them an online platform to launch and grow their business and empower rural women entrepreneurs.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed and exchanged in the presence of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha here at Raj Bhavan on Thursday.
Congratulating women entrepreneurs of self-help groups (SHGs) and Meesho officials, the Lt Governor said the partnership will help in building lives and livelihoods for rural communities and provide greater access to economic activities, and financial independence to rural women entrepreneurs.
The partnership of rural livelihoods mission and e-commerce giant Meesho is a significant step in making niche products of Jammu and Kashmir available to the wider customer base, providing SHGs global market to grow their business, and making them Aatmanirbhar, he observed.
From shawls and carpets to Phool Kari, Jammu & Kashmir’s arts and crafts have earned global recognition for their uniqueness, officials said.
Going online with Meesho will allow these women to sell such products to all corners of India and benefit from higher visibility and additional income, they added.
Digital inclusion will help them become self-employed entrepreneurs and fulfil their aspirations of achieving financial independence.
JKRLM Umeed and Meesho have already identified products created by these SHGs that can be sold on the online platform, such as Chabhari and Bina grass items, papier-mache, essential oils, woollens and crewel embroidered products, made across J&K, they said.
JKRLM Umeed on its part will provide all necessary support to boost the digitisation of these women entrepreneurs through access to the internet and financial services.
The Lt Governor said the partnership will also provide an opportunity for both JKRLM and Meesho to scale up rural enterprises from grass root to large scale and bring change in rural women’s lives.
“For the last two years, we have been working towards re-imagining the rural areas of Jammu and Kashmir and providing a strong market linkage and e-commerce platforms to exploit the potential of artisans.
“About 5.5 lakh women are associated with more than 64,000 SHGs and almost every panchayat has two women entrepreneurs today,” Sinha said.
The Lt Governor also highlighted the efforts of the government for promoting women entrepreneurship by building strong grassroots institutions that can foster enduring transformation.
“J&K has abundant talent in Handicraft, and through this cooperation, we will be able to empower a large number of women which in turn will empower the community as well as this Union Territory,” he added.
Meesho co-founder and CTO Sanjeev Barnwal said, “We are privileged to work with Umeed-JKRLM and the J&K Government to further our mission of democratising e-commerce. Women entrepreneurs are a key growth engine of India’s economy and Meesho has empowered lakhs of them to succeed in the online world”.
Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary asked the JKRLM to devise a comprehensive system for product certification to create a brand value. E-Commerce is the way forward and more focus should be given on showcasing our products in virtual showrooms, he added.
Mandeep Kaur, Administrative Secretary, Department of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj briefed about the initiatives taken to link local products with e-markets.
Indu Kanwal Chib, Mission Director, JKRLM briefed on the key aspects of the MoU. She further said the partnership with Meesho will not only give the SHG women good prices for their products, but also a new identity to their entrepreneurship development. Through this association, women artisans will get access to a potentially wider market base while locally produced, unique products from J&K will become available to millions of Meesho customers across the country, strengthening rural businesses, she added.
A short film on livelihood generation initiatives of JKRLM was also showcased on the occasion.
Mridhu Slathia, Additional Mission Director, J&K Rural Livelihoods Mission, Jammu; Prachi Bhuchar, Head-Public Policy and Government Affairs Meesho and senior officials were present during the MoU signing ceremony.
KV News
