Rourkela, Nov 15 (KNN) With the aim to empower local women self-help groups (SHGs) and help them expand their businesses, as many as five Sundargarh industries on Monday decided to commit business worth Rs 1 crore to the SHGs.

The business commitment was made at the district-level investors’ meet titled ‘SHG to SME: Invest in her’, as part of Make in Odisha Conclave-2022.The event was organised by Mission Shakti and was held at Bikash Bhawan in Sundargarh town in Odisha.

Speaking virtually, commissioner-cum-secretary of Mission Shakti, Sujata R Karthikeyan said around 70 lakh women of over six lakh SHGs are linked to Mission Shakti. She said women’s economic empowerment would result in overall development of the state. 

Karthikeyan further pointed out that Mission Shakti has transformed from a scheme to an independent department with a separate budget. “The women SHGs working at micro level should also strive to become small and medium enterprises,” she said.

She advised the district administration to help SHGs in product value-addition, packaging, quality assurance and setting up of market linkage to enable them to reach the next level.

Insisting on effective collaboration of SHGs and industrial ecosystems for mutual gains, Sundargarh collector Parag Harshad Gavali reiterated the administration’s commitment to help the SHGs. He said products and services produced by SGHs and needed by industries can be availed against payment for mutual benefit. 

As an immediate outcome, he said Dalmia Bharat, Vedanta, JSW, NTPC and IFSL have committed to offer business of `1 crore to SHGs annually. “Other industries too have promised to explore opportunities of business associations with the SHGs,” he added. 

The meet was jointly hosted by FICCI Ladies organisation.  (KNN Bureau)