Karnataka - Bangalore   

Stree Shakti presence in malls soon

BANGALORE: Stree Shakti brands could be sharing space with global brands if the ambitious plans by the Department of Women and Child Development take off.

“We are trying to create a brand image for products developed by self-help groups (SHGs) in the State. We are also trying to rope in private companies as partners to sell the products better,” said Shalini Rajneesh, secretary of the department, at a press conference.

The department has tied up with Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Karnataka (AWAKE) for brand image creation. Reliance Retail had shown interest in the products on display at the exhibition at Bal Bhavan Grounds, Ms. Rajneesh said.

“Marketing of products by SHGs has been the biggest problem till now, which is why we have engaged business and marketing consultants. We will soon have quality controls in place. We will profile every product and market it in other States, too,” Ms. Rajneesh said.

Products by SHGs have an added advantage; the high-quality merchandise can be customised, she said. The department is also helping them to market themselves better by providing assistance in preparing business cards.

The State, which faces a severe shortage of buildings to house anganwadi centres, will add another 1,600 units this year. This follows an additional allocation of Rs. 50 crore from National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). “The sanctioned strength is 55,000 anganwadi centres for the State. We have over 30,000 buildings for anganwadis alone. More than 10,000 are in government buildings. But about 11,000 anganwadi centres do not have proper infrastructure. So they are at odd locations like temples,” Ms. Rajneesh said.

Incidentally, the vote-on-account budget of the State Government has allocated Rs. 25 crore for the same. Each unit costs about Rs. 3 lakh. The department plans to build another 1,000 units through funds allocated in the current financial year.

The department plans to enlist the help of ISRO to use EDUSAT for providing education to children in observation homes across the State. “We do have teachers at these homes but we want to supplement teaching through satellite education,” Ms. Rajneesh said.

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