Union Minster for Rural Development Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated the SARAS Ajeevika Mela organised at Noida Haat in Uttar Pradesh today through video conferencing. Union Ministers of States for Rural Development Dr. Chandrasekhar Pemmasani and Shri Kamlesh Paswan were also present on this special occasion. While addressing the Lakhpati sisters, Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that SARAS has a huge contribution in making the sisters of the Self-Help Groups lakhpatis. “They are getting income through their art. I urge all brothers and sisters to promote rural products”, Shri Chouhan said.

Dr. Chandrasekhar Pemmasani in his address said that this has become not just a fair but a movement, a movement where women are becoming job providers instead of workers. They are not just housewives but entrepreneurs and not just beneficiaries but leaders of India's economic progress. Self Help Groups – SHG Didis are now selling products directly to the Government through Government e marketplace GeM.

Shri Kamlesh Paswan said that SARAS Mela has become an identity for both Lakhpati Didis and Self Help Group (SHGs). This fair is not just a fair but a huge platform through which people are shifting towards organic products.

SARAS Ajeevika Mela 2025 is being organized from 21st February to 10th March 2025, with the main objective of showcasing the crafts and arts of rural India. For the fifth time, the famous Saras Ajeevika Mela 2025 is being organized by the Ministry of Rural Development in collaboration with National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR) with the theme of Tradition, Art and Culture and “Developing the Export Potential of Lakhpati SHG Didis”.

Visitors of the SARAS Mela are enjoying various products made by the Self Help Groups (SHGs) from 30 states. Handloom, handicrafts and natural food products made by SHGs have been displayed at 200 stalls for exhibition and sale. Apart from this, 25 live food stalls from 20 states are also showcasing their ethnic cuisines and delicious food items at Noida Haat. Around 450 SHG members from across the country are participating in this SARAS Aajeevika Mela.

The Mela - 2025 is showcasing an excellent display of handloom sarees and dress material from various states. The states showcasing their products at the fair include - Kalamkari from Andhra Pradesh, Mekhela Chadar from Assam, Cotton and Silk from Bihar, Kosa Saree from Chhattisgarh, Bharat Gunthan and Patchwork from Gujarat, Tussar Silk and Cotton from Jharkhand, Chanderi and Bagh Print from Madhya Pradesh, Eri Products from Meghalaya, Tussar and Bandha from Odisha, Kanchipuram from Tamil Nadu, Pochampalli from Telangana, Pashmina from Uttarakhand, Kantha, Batik Print, Tant and Baluchari from West Bengal. .Handicrafts, jewellery and home decor products from different states are also being displayed at the fair. Apart from this, natural food products like ginger, tea, pulses, coffee, papad, apple jam and pickles are also available at the food stalls.

Arrangements have been made at the Saras Mela for senior citizens, zones for children and mothers' care. Visitors are also enjoying various cultural programmes every day during the Saras Mela. To develop the export potential of SHG sisters, a dedicated export promotion pavilion has been created at the Saras Mela complex in Noida Haat.

Launched by the Ministry of Rural Development under Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission, this initiative aims to help artisans and craftsmen to promote their livelihoods and inclusive growth.This will give a boost to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's 'Vocal for Local' campaign and his vision of 'Developed India by 2047'.

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