The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) organized a two-day National Consultation on SHE-MARTs (Self Help Entrepreneurs-Marketing Avenues for Rural Transformation) on 14th-15th May 2026
Event held at Mayfair Convention Hall, Bhubaneswar, Odisha
Consultation hosted by Odisha Livelihoods Mission (OLM), Mission Shakti Department, Government of Odisha
Facilitated by PRADAN as the National Support Organisation (NSO)
Participants included State Mission Directors, CEOs, senior officials from State Rural Livelihoods Missions (SRLMs), representatives from NABARD, sector experts, development practitioners, financial institutions, and ecosystem partners
Consultation aimed to finalize operational guidelines for SHE-MART initiative through ground feedback, suggestions, and contextual insights from States and Union Territories
Key themes discussed: institutional architecture, financing models, convergence pathways, monitoring systems, business processes, governance structures, technology integration, and implementation strategies
Ministry committed to making 3 crores additional Lakhpati Didis by 2029
SHE-MARTs intended to be decentralized, women-led, professionally managed, community-owned enterprise ecosystems rather than subsidy-dependent retail outlets
Five thematic groups conducted subgroup deliberations to review draft SHE-MART operational framework
Day 2 focused on HR Structure & Women's Leadership, Technical Design & Implementation Strategy, and Capacity-Building Architecture
Initiative aims to enhance income opportunities, enterprise growth, branding, and market access for women-led producer collectives across India
