Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore   

Unusual venture strikes gold in Coimbatore villages

By M. Soundariya Preetha

DELIVERING GOODS: A woman who has made a successful career selling consumer items at Ondipudur near Coimbatore. — Photo: K. Ananthan

COIMBATORE: : These self-help group women earn their livelihood selling fast-moving consumer goods at villages. Most are aged between 30 and 45. Their groups are now successful in marketing. They are distributors for Hindustan Lever Limited products in villages that have population of 4,000 or less, under Project Shakti.

At Ottarpalayam, 10 km east of Coimbatore, A. Pushpalatha has been marketing soaps, detergents and shampoo in a cluster of villages for the last four months. After completing her domestic chores, she sets out at 9.00 a.m. every day and earns Rs. 5,000 a month. With the training given by the company, this 38-year old woman maintains accounts and a profile of households that purchase the products. Motivated by her success, more women in the village want to take to the activity.

Project Shakti took off in Andhra Pradesh in the year 2000 and was rolled out in Tamil Nadu last year. It now benefits more than 1,000 women in the State. HLL launched the project in Salem on a trial basis last year. Now 1,100 SHGs from 27 districts in the State are involved in it.

This economic activity is taken up by the entire group in some places or just a couple of members in some other villages. There are instances of just one member taking up the activity for the group, says an HLL official.

They sell all HLL products either through door-to-door marketing or to the outlets. Indian Bank extends them assistance for rural distribution. In the Coimbatore circle, the bank has so far helped out 17 groups and hopes to increase the number to 100 by the end of this fiscal year. A number of non-governmental organisations are also involved.

Each group sells goods to the tune of Rs. 20,000-Rs. 25,000 a month. One SHG in Coimbatore has achieved sales to the tune of Rs. 70,000 a month.

HLL also guides the SHGs, which manufactures products, in marketing. One such meeting was held here on Tuesday.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Siruvani overflow brings no cheer to suburbs
Novel venture strikes gold in villages
Unusual venture strikes gold in Coimbatore villages
COINDIA signs pact with Si'Tarc
Indian Academy of Paediatrics conference
PGM for BSNL assumes office
Deport Bangladeshis: BJP
Award instituted
Around the City
In Coimbatore Today

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu