Govt Announces Online Ecommerce Platform Mahila E-Haat For Women Entrepreneurs

The Centre on Monday announced the launch of ‘Mahila E-Haat,’ an initiative to strengthen women entrepreneurs in the country.

An  online marketing platform, ‘Mahila E-Haat’ will help women entrepreneurs in rural parts of the country to sell products online to larger markets all across the country.

Speaking on the eve of International Women’s Day, Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi said that the platform will have unlimited reach and can become a catalyst in creating a new generation of businesswomen. This will also enable women become part of ‘Make in India’ and ‘Stand Up India’ initiatives of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Women entrepreneurs can register on the platform without paying any registration cost. The e-Haat website will then display the product along with photograph and description, cost and mobile no./address of the sellers, enabling direct contact between them and buyers. All business on e-Haat can also be handled through a mobile phone.

Women entrepreneurs who are at least 18 years of age and women Self Help Groups (SHGs) can register on the website by submitting their information online or by email/letter in the required format. The moderators will then select the products to be displayed and inform vendors. The sellers can also do the pricing of the products at their own discretion. The platform will initially work on a no-commision model.

The government estimates that more than 10000 SHGs and 1.25 Lakh women entrepreneurs would be benefited from the day of launch itself.

The Minister added that this empowerment of women will take place in three stages, the first stage being Mahila E-Haat.

In the second stage, the platform will be integrated with ecommerce portals.

The third stage will see the formation of a  Women’s Entrepreneurs Council, which will help to expand this initiative further and give it an institutional shape.

The Govt believes that e-Haat will bring a paradigm shift in enabling women to exercise control over their finances.

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