SARAS MELAS

The Ministry of Rural Development has launched eSARAS, a digital marketplace under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana‑National Rural Livelihoods Mission, to enable women‑led Self‑Help Groups (SHGs), FPOs and rural producers to sell their products online and on major e‑commerce platforms such as Flipkart, Amazon and Meesho. The Ministry mandates each State/UT Rural Livelihoods Mission to organise at least two SARAS Melas annually; in FY 2025‑26 four national‑level melas recorded cumulative sales of Rs 35.73 crore. Supporting measures include digital onboarding assistance, training in branding, packaging and digital marketing, a dedicated fulfilment centre, and capacity‑building programmes by the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj. The Minister of State for Rural Development, Dr Chandra Sekhar Pemmansani, briefed the Lok Sabha on these initiatives.