Women from 17 States Participate in Saras Mela 2025

Women’s Self-Help Groups Record Sales of Over ₹60 Lakh at the Fair

Raipur, Oct 2025: The Saras Mela 2025 was organized by the National Rural Livelihood Mission under the Panchayat and Rural Development Department from October 8 to 18, 2025, at the Science College Ground in Raipur. The event provided a platform to promote rural women’s entrepreneurship and empower them to become economically self-reliant.

Women from Self-Help Groups (SHGs) representing 17 states across the country participated in the fair. Additionally, SHGs from all districts of Chhattisgarh showcased and sold their handmade products, including handicrafts, handloom garments, organic goods, traditional cuisines, and household items through more than 200 stalls.

In view of the upcoming Diwali festival, the groups also created handcrafted gift hampers, which drew significant attention from buyers. Over the ten days of the fair, products worth more than ₹60 lakh were sold. The initiative also supported Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s call to promote and purchase indigenous products, as locally made festive goods received an enthusiastic response from customers. A large number of visitors thronged the fair to explore and purchase these swadeshi items.

The primary objective of the Saras Mela was to provide national-level recognition to products made by rural women, ensure sustainable markets, and connect them with new entrepreneurial opportunities. The event not only offered thousands of women a platform to improve their economic condition but also instilled in them a sense of pride and confidence.

To mark the festive season, the Chhattisgarh State Rural Livelihood Mission organized similar fairs across the state, where SHGs displayed and sold a variety of products and Diwali gift hampers. Apart from Raipur, 155 stalls were set up in various districts, achieving sales of ₹15.55 lakh worth of goods and ₹14.12 lakh worth of Diwali hampers.

Altogether, through Saras Mela and other fairs, the women entrepreneurs — affectionately known as Bihan Didis — collectively recorded business transactions of around ₹90 lakh during the Diwali season, reflecting the growing strength and success of women-led rural enterprises in Chhattisgarh.