NE BUSINESS BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, DEC 21
Deputy Managing Director of the Small Industrial Development Bank of India (SIDBI) Sudatta Mandal on Monday honoured top five artisans and micro entrepreneurs of the exhibition, Swavlamban Mela, based on pre-fixed criteria and sales made during the exhibition and subsequently help them to upscale their existing businesses.
Speaking with navjeevaexpress.com, Mandal said, “Post-pandemic SIDBI has launched the country’s first ‘Swavlamban Mela’ at Ahmedabad Haat in Vastrapur area of Ahmedabad, which aims to spread entrepreneurship culture in the country. The main objectives of Mission Swavalamban are to turn youth from “job seekers” to “sob creators”, to restrict rural migration to urban areas and to promote sustainable livelihood opportunities.”
“The five-day Ahmedabad ‘Swavlamban Mela’ was held from December 16-20, 2021 generating a business of over Rs 60 lakh which saw a footfall of around 11,000 customers till Sunday. In this ‘Mela’ around 90 micro entrepreneurs and artisans have showcased and sold their handicraft, handloom and other art-based products. SIDBI has provided free stalls along with boarding and lodging facilities to all artisans or micro entrepreneurs. SIDBI has also roped in the services of the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar-based NIFT to upskill the artisans in adopting digitization, marketing techniques and incorporating the latest fashions according to the customers’ needs.”
Mandal announced that the next mela will be held in Chennai in Tamil Nadu on the eve of Pongal festival in the second week of January next.
Under the mission, SIDBI is organizing “Swavlamban Mela” at various locations across the country with an objective to provide a platform to micro enterprises & small artisans to showcase their products and to help these entrepreneurs in getting exposure, accessing and understanding of markets. The mela aims at sowing the seeds of entrepreneurship amongst the micro enterprises at the bottom of the pyramid by enabling them to become self-employed and also provide employment for others thereby enabling better livelihood at the grassroots level.
SIDBI firmly believes that, micro and small enterprises have the capability to generate income and employment in their vicinity. The mela provides a window to enable the self-employed women, micro enterprises and artisans to sell their quality products directly to customers.
The above exhibition was organized under the stewardship of Sanjay Gupta, General Manager, SIDBI, Ahmedabad and his team.
