- Ahmedabad Mayor will unveil the Swavalamban Mela at Karnavati Club on Friday at 9:30 am
- The mela will remain open between 11 am and 9 pm from March 15 to March 17
- SIDBI Deputy Managing Director Sudatta Mandal, Editor in Chief of NavGujarat Samay and Ahmedabad Mirror Ajay Umat, COWE National chief Lalitha Aluri and Actor-Health Coach Sapna Vyas will be the guests of honour
NE BUSINESS BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, MARCH 13
The NARI – Pride & Power 2024 Expo, Swavalamban Mela, organised by the SIDBI Gujarat Regional Office and Confederation of Women Entrepreneurs (COWE)’s Gujarat Chapter, is set to provide a platform for 111 micro-enterprises run by women entrepreneurs and artisans to showcase their handicrafts and and other products, facilitating direct sales to customers.
Ahmedabad Mayor Pratibhaben Jain will inaugurate the exhibition at Karnavati Club on SG Highway on Friday at 9:30 am. SIDBI Deputy Managing Director Sudatta Mandal, Editor in Chief of NavGujarat Samay and Ahmedabad Mirror Ajay Umat, COWE National chief Lalitha Aluri and Actor-Health Coach Sapna Vyas will be the guests of honour, announced Meena Kaviya, President, Gujarat Chapter, COWE here on Tuesday.
Taking place from Friday to Sunday, March 15 to 17, 2024, between 11 am and 9 pm, the primary objective of the Swavalamban Mela is to promote sustainable livelihood opportunities for women entrepreneurs and artisans.
Speaking with navjeevanexpress.com, V Srinivasan, General Manager of SIDBI’s Gujarat Regional Office said, “This exhibition serves as a valuable opportunity for stakeholders to network and enhance their sales potential. It is structured around three core pillars: skilling, credit connect, and market connect, reflecting the essence of self-reliance. In Gujarat, SIDBI has been instrumental in providing financial assistance, ranging from small to significant amounts, to numerous micro and small entrepreneurs, and artisans. We offer collateral-free loans up to Rs 5 crore at 8 percent interest per annum to women-led NGOs. On prompt payment of loan, Gujarat Government will reimburse 5 percent interest under its interest subvention scheme. Thus women-run NGOs will have to pay only 3 percent interest. Further, SIDBI helps the artisans to board the country’s e-commerce ecosystem and principal financial institution, Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) , to market their products online.”
SIDBI Deputy General Manager Sivamani Muralidharan said, “SIDBI’s Swavalamban Mela initiative aims to foster an entrepreneurship culture nationwide, driven by the belief that micro-enterprises run by woman artisans have the potential to stimulate income and employment within their communities. Since COWE has nationwide presence we have roped in them to hold this expo for women and by women.”
“Out of the 111 participants from our 11 chapters across the country, 80 percent woman artisans are from Gujarat. A variety of products and services will be presented for the target audience. The wide range includes latest fashion trends, designer clothes, jewellery, cosmetics, food, fitness, health products and many more. The event will serve as a wonderful platform for all the women entrepreneurs to showcase their breath taking designs and handcrafted customised accessories and many more. We are expecting a footfall of up to 8,000 visitors to boost the sale of woman artisans’ products. The exhibition aims to celebrate the strength, resilience, and achievements of women, showcasing their talents and contributions in various fields,” said Meena Kaviya, President, Gujarat Chapter, COWE.
COWE Gujarat Chapter Joint Secretary Manjusha Kothari, Treasurer Heena Shah, Secretaries Veena Parekh & Santosh Shah and Executive Committee Member Hetal Desai were also present at the curtain-raiser event.
