SHGs to SMEs: Here’re Odisha Govt’s initiatives to help women under Mission Shakti

Bhubaneswar: Empowering women under Mission Shakti programme, Odisha Government has embarked on a transformative journey graduating Self Help Groups (SHGs) to Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

In this regard, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has announced a number of initiatives to help more than 70 lakh women under 6 lakh SHGs enter into big businesses, informed Mission Shakti Commissioner-cum-Secretary Sujata R Karthikeyan at 2-day IAS Officers’ Conference that began here today.

Following are the initiatives for the women SHG members to transform them to SMEs under Mission Shakti:

1. Zero interest Mission Shakti loans upto Rs 5 lakh. – This year nearly 10,000 cr will be disbursed to more than 3 Lakh groups. 200 cr of Interest subvention amount is being disbursed directly to SHG accounts. Over the next five years, Rs. 50,000 crore loan is targeted to be disbursed to SHGs and 1200 cr has been provisioned for interest subvention benefits to SHGs.

2. Government of Odisha has a unique model of outsourcing of Government procurements and provisioning of services worth 5000 cr in 5 years. 15 Departments are actively participating in the areas of hospital diet management, electricity meter reading pisciculture, urban works , nursery raising in forests and so on. A striking example of this initiative is the handing over of all 5 T schools to federations for watch and ward and maintenance activities with in built supervision charges for SHGs.

3. Training is an important component of building SMEs All blocks will be covered with high quality trainings with credible partners . Emerging areas of beauty sector enterprises, fashion design , Agri entrepreneurship, cafe management , hospitality sector services will be given focus.

4. Marketing – Mission Shakti Bazaar, the exclusive chain of retail stores for SHG products, will be set up in 500 locations across the state with a state of art boutique store in Bhubaneswar opening soon. 300 SHGs and PGs have been identified for onboarding to Flipkart.

5. During the Make in Odisha Conclave 2022, CM Patnaik to nurture entrepreneurship among women, has announced Revolving Fund at Rs. 1 cr for all District Level Federations, Revolving Fund at Rs. 50 lakh for all Block Level Federations, Office building with market Complex for all GPLFs and establishment of Micro & Mini Industrial parks in all 30 districts.

In a press note, the Mission Shakti Department stated, few examples of successful women led businesses at district level were also presented at the 2-day event.

• Koraput district has set up mini industrial parks for women covering 310 acres in 12 GPs of Borigumma. The district has leveraged funds from many programmes for these units housed in one location. The fly ash brick unit alone has a turnover of 5 crore.
• Kendrapara district has started Milk Shakti to procure and sell milk from Mission Shakti SHGs. They also have started a unique e-auto programme with women owners and drivers of electronic autos.

The overall vision is to set up at least 50,000 SMEs in the next 3 years, the release stated adding, “This effort will further promote women led and women owned large enterprises and provide a strong platform for women to take on leadership roles at all levels.”