Uttarakhand’s village-made products could soon get a much bigger platform in Dehradun. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has announced a state-level marketing centre at 13 Gaon in IT Park, dedicated to showcasing and marketing products made by Self-Help Groups (SHGs) from all 13 districts.
The move is aimed at solving one of the biggest challenges faced by rural entrepreneurs: finding the right market for their products.
Women across Uttarakhand are already turning local resources into businesses, producing everything from mandua, jhangora, pulses and hill spices to honey, pickles, jams, handicrafts and woollens. The new centre is expected to give these products a more organised platform in the state capital.
The initiative also fits into the government’s wider push to strengthen rural enterprises through training, financial assistance, technical support and market access.
According to CM Dhami, more than 8,000 women entrepreneurs and SHG members have been connected with entrepreneurship and livelihood opportunities. The state also has more than 70,000 SHGs involving over five lakh rural women, while more than three lakh women have become Lakhpati Didis.
The government is also promoting the House of Himalayas brand to take Uttarakhand’s local products to larger markets.
The new marketing centre is about more than selling products. By creating better market access for village entrepreneurs, the government hopes to make local businesses and self-employment more viable, particularly for women and young people in the hills.
For Dehradun, the centre could become a single destination to discover products from across Uttarakhand. For rural producers, it could mean one important thing: a better chance of taking a village enterprise to a wider market without leaving the village behind.