DAY-NRLM showcases women-led rural enterprises at BRICS meet in Kochi

Kochi, Jul 8 (PTI) Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) on Wednesday showcased women-led rural enterprises from across the country at the BRICS Women Ministerial Meeting here, officials said. An exhibition, being held on the sidelines of the two-day ministerial meeting under India's BRICS Chairship, was inaugurated by Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annapurna Devi and Minister of State Savitri Thakur. According to an official statement, ministers and senior delegates from Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia visited the pavilion and interacted with women-led Self-Help Groups (SHGs) under the DAY-NRLM. The exhibition aims to showcase the achievements of rural women entrepreneurs and demonstrate the role of collective institutions in strengthening rural livelihoods, promoting economic empowerment and preserving traditional knowledge systems, the statement said. The Ministry of Rural Development pavilion comprises 21 stalls representing states and Union Territories, besides the National Saras Aajeevika Gallery, displaying a wide range of products made by women-led SHG enterprises. The exhibits include handlooms, handicrafts, traditional art forms, natural foods, wellness products and sustainable lifestyle products, reflecting the diversity of India's rural enterprise ecosystem. The National Saras Aajeevika Gallery showcases premium products from across the country and highlights initiatives such as product development, branding, packaging, quality assurance and market linkages undertaken under DAY-NRLM, the statement said. It also features the Saras Shakti Collection, a premium gifting initiative that curates handcrafted products made by rural women SHGs for institutional and government markets. The exhibition includes traditional crafts such as Madhubani paintings, Dokra and Bell Metal crafts, Pen Kalamkari, Phulkari embroidery, Toda embroidery, Kantha work, Kutchi crafts, Channapatna toys and Aipan art, among others. The statement said the exhibition reflects the contribution of over 10 crore women associated with SHGs to local economic development and presents their enterprises as globally competitive niche businesses. It said the exhibition provides BRICS delegates and international visitors an opportunity to experience the diversity, quality and innovation of products created by rural women entrepreneurs while reaffirming the government's commitment to strengthening rural livelihoods and expanding market opportunities for SHG enterprises. BRICS, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Indonesia joined the grouping in 2025. India will host the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi in September. As part of its BRICS presidency, India is hosting a series of meetings across the country in the run-up to the summit. PTI TBA TBA ADB