‘Mahalakshmi Saras’ a Major Market Brand for Women: CM Devendra Fadnavis

Nagpur, March 2026 : Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the ‘Mahalakshmi Saras’ exhibition is not just a place for sales but has emerged as a strong marketplace brand for women’s self-help groups. He also announced that ‘Umed Malls’ will be established across all 36 districts of the state.

He noted that the exhibition is receiving an increasing response from citizens and that the ‘Mahalakshmi Saras’ brand is growing stronger. Transactions worth around ₹100 crore are being carried out through self-help groups in the state, he added.

The Chief Minister visited the ‘Mahalakshmi Saras 2026’ exhibition. Revenue Minister and Guardian Minister of Nagpur district Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Rural Development Minister Jaykumar Gore, Minister of State for Finance and Planning Ashish Jaiswal, and several MLAs were present on the occasion.

Around 404 stalls have been set up at Mahalakshmi Saras 2026, and sales worth ₹10 crore have already been recorded. The government will continue efforts to further increase this figure, the Chief Minister expressed.

He added that the exhibition is organised at three locations in the state and generates business of nearly ₹100 crore, giving a major boost to women-led enterprises. Various schemes are being implemented through the Rural Development Department for women empowerment, and women are emerging as key contributors to the economy.

Under the ‘Lakhpati Didi’ campaign, the state aims to empower one crore women. In the first phase, ‘Umed Malls’ will be set up in 13 districts, and gradually expanded to all 36 districts, said Rural Development Minister Jaykumar Gore. He also praised the Nagpur आयोजन, giving full marks to the organisers and assuring that such a dedicated marketplace for women will be made available every year.

The government is also working towards enhancing women’s skills, improving branding and marketing of their products, and enabling their products to reach international markets.

Minister of State Ashish Jaiswal highlighted that under the ‘Navsakhi Udyogini Yojana’, financial assistance of ₹1 lakh is being provided to women’s self-help groups, helping them become economically self-reliant.

During the event, the Chief Minister inaugurated several innovative initiatives of the Nagpur Zilla Parishad, including ‘Didi Ki Rasoi’ restaurant, Project Dream 100 Village Library, ICT labs in ZP schools, AI Lab on Wheels (Gyan Rath), Super 40 Anganwadi, and Gurukul AI Labs. He appreciated these efforts and also launched a new initiative to establish over 100 libraries in the future.

He later visited stalls run by women’s self-help groups at the exhibition and interacted with them, gaining insights into their product sales, market response, and challenges faced.

Senior officials, including Umed Mission CEO Nilesh Sagar and District Collector Dr. Vipin Itankar, along with a large number of women, were present at the event.