The Hindu : Front Page : SHGs benefit from buyer-seller meet

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Sep 18, 2005

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SHGs benefit from buyer-seller meet

Subha J Rao

Organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry, it provides marketing facility

COIMBATORE: It was an initiative to help address a major constraint the hugely successful self-help groups (SHGs) continue to face - marketing. And, it worked to an extent. When members of 50 SHGs packed up after a two-day buyer-seller meet organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry, Coimbatore chapter, and the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), they were beaming.

At least 15 of them walked away with orders valued at Rs. 5 lakhs and others had a bunch of visiting cards from those keen on striking deals.

That way, the meeting did exactly what it set out to do - provide a common platform for corporates and SHGs. Nandini Rangaswamy, chairperson, CII Coimbatore chapter, was appreciative of the quality of product, innovation and drive of the members.

"Corporates are willing to buy from them as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) drive," she said. But, pricing must be competitive. "They should not undersell or quote themselves higher than the market price."

Products that literally flew off the tables at the Annapoorna Kalaiarangam, R.S. Puram, the venue of the meeting, included paper cups, areca leaf sheath plates, coir fibre, other disposables and food items such as papads and masalas. Cleaning materials such as phenyl also found takers with hospitals evincing interest. An order has also been placed for 100 litres of lemon grass oil.

Firms that have placed orders include the Sree Annapoorna Sree Gowrishankar Group, Suvai Foods (three lakh paper cups), Aavin (75,00 paper cups) and Sakthi Coir Exports, Pollachi, DRDA, officials said.

The Annapoorna Group is to also earmark free space for SHGs in its outlets to allow them to display their products. "The quality and finish were excellent and most of the products are eco-friendly," said D. Srinivasan, Executive Director (Finance), who has placed orders for 10,000 areca leaf sheath plates.

For starters, the hotel chain will use these plates for its outdoor catering service before gradually introducing it inside. One thing SHGs will have to look into is enhancing production capacity in case of bulk orders. They must also ensure timely delivery.

The CII source says the District Supply and Marketing Society has offered to take up any bulk orders and source the material from the groups under it.

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