In a significant move to empower rural women entrepreneurs, the Maharashtra government has greenlit the establishment of 13 district-level 'Umed Malls' across the state. The initiative, approved via a Government Resolution (GR) issued by the Rural Development Department on Saturday, aims to create permanent sales centres for products manufactured by women's self-help groups (SHGs).
Vidarbha Emerges as a Key Beneficiary
The first phase of this statewide rollout will see the Vidarbha region receiving four of the thirteen approved centres. The selected districts are Nagpur and Wardha from the Nagpur division, and Akola and Yavatmal from the Amravati division. This allocation positions Vidarbha as one of the major beneficiaries of the scheme initially, promising a substantial economic uplift for its rural women.
These malls will be set up under the umbrella of the Maharashtra State Rural Livelihoods Mission (MSRLM), which is active in all 34 districts and 351 talukas of the state. Officials indicated that each Umed Mall will be developed with a financial provision of up to Rs 20 crore. The government estimates that nearly 60 lakh rural families across Maharashtra could gain economically from this structured market access.
Bridging the Market Gap for SHG Products
The GR highlights that MSRLM-affiliated women's SHGs are already prolific producers, engaged in making food items, handicrafts, textiles, and household goods in substantial volumes. However, their growth has been hampered by the absence of dedicated, permanent marketplaces, forcing reliance on temporary exhibitions, weekly bazaars, and intermediaries.
"The objective is to provide a rightful and assured market," the resolution states. While existing platforms like Saras fairs, district exhibitions, and the online 'Umed Mart' portal have been helpful, a permanent district sales centre was identified as a critical need to strengthen sustainable market linkages. The Umed Mall model is designed to eliminate middlemen, ensuring that the full value of sales goes directly to the women producers, thereby boosting household income and financial independence.
Operational Framework and Wider Impact
The project will utilise district council-owned land at suitable and accessible locations. To ensure fair and broad-based participation, retail stalls inside the malls will be allotted to SHGs on a rotational basis, preventing monopolisation by a limited number of groups.
For Vidarbha, these malls are expected to be transformative, playing a critical role in expanding non-farm livelihood opportunities, especially for women in rural and semi-urban areas. The Nagpur Umed Mall, in particular, is anticipated to evolve into a key marketing hub for SHG products from across the entire division.
The implementation will follow an already government-approved operational framework, marking the beginning of a structured, district-level retail network dedicated to rural women-led enterprises. This initiative represents a concrete step towards translating grassroots production into scalable commerce.
