Bhubaneswar, February 27: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday inaugurated Mission Shakti Bazar (MSB) here in the city.
Opening the MSB, the CM 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 5T initiative to promote entrepreneurship for women.
The MSB is a state-of-the-art boutique store for display and sale of curated Mission Shakti SHG products from all over the State.
It is owned and operated by a producer Company of SHGs called Khorda Matru Shakti Farmers Producers Company Ltd.
It has as its shareholders nearly 200 SHGs, Producer Groups and Producer Companies comprising SHGs.
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 business in Odisha. To support the Producer Company, Kalgudi has been engaged as the Technical Service Agency.
The main aim of this Bazar is to give a sale platform to Mission Shakti products ensuring sustainable markets and competitive prices.
It will also generate consumer interest in many products that are not available round the year in urban centres.
The bazar 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 among other items.
In the long run, display of SHG products in a centralised place will also give rise to bulk buyers.
It will help build value chains of products and encourage product standardisation helping the producer SHGs gain better prices.
5T Chairman VK Pandian, Mission Shakti Commissioner cum Secretary Sujata Kartikeyan were present among others.
