How women in rural areas of Himachal are living their entrepreneurial dreams

Jaswinder Kaur from Nalagarh of Solan district proudly displays her products. (Express Photo)

Himira offers natural and handmade products made by women in the rural areas of the state. Approximately 3.50 lakh women across Himachal are connected with Himira through 44,000 SHGs also operated by the women. While Jaswinder Kaur joined the Sainath SHG that produces organic and cow-dung made products, Megha is associated with Shree Ganesh SHG and sells her leaf plates via them.

“Earlier, I was financially dependent on her husband, but now I enjoy my financial stability. With every sale, I see not just profit but the dreams of my children coming to life,” said Megha.

Like Jaswinder and Megha, there are also others who are living the entrepreneurial dream in the hill state. In Keylong of Lahaul-Spiti district, Rigzin Chhoedan leveraged the Kangla Berry SHG to expand her work in agriculture, livestock rearing, handicrafts, and handlooms. Her monthly income has now grown from Rs 4,000 to Rs 25,000.

Megha Devi from Sullah of Kangra district with her plates. (Express Photo)

Anita Devi from Jhamiyat in Hamirpur district once relied on a private job where she earned just Rs 5,000 per month. After joining an SHG and receiving training in mushroom cultivation, her now earns Rs 20,000 per month. “Through hard work and government support, I turned my small savings into a thriving business. Now, I support my family and empower others to believe in their potential,” said Anita.

Shivam Pratap, director of Himachal Pradesh Rural Livelihood Development Department, said that 99 per cent of SHGs are dominated by the rural women in the state. “The state government provides them financial assistance under various schemes for creating infrastructure. All income generated through product sales go to the women. In fact, the government increases the assistance to SHGs that are doing good.”

Elaborating on the process, Pratap said that the first stage of a SHG is Village Organisation (VO), second stage is Block Organisation (BO) and in the third stage Cluster Organisations (COs) of these SHGs were made. “We have women who earned Rs 5,000 to Rs 60,000 depending on the sale and value of their products. For instance, SHGs involved in the manufacturing and sale of desi ghee, wooden craft, woolen clothes etc. earn more than their contemporaries.”

A spokesperson of the Himachal Pradesh Rural Development department said, “Before January 3, people could only purchase the local products at SHG stores, government offices and other designated places. The website has changed the scenario and we are getting a lot of orders. The website features a diverse range of nearly 30 products, from hand-woven Himachali textiles to pure and natural food items. The local women are also getting paid based on the number of products and units they sell.”

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that through the digital initiative, nearly 30,000 SHG women now have direct access to livelihood opportunities that were previously unavailable. “The state government is committed to policies that align with the local culture and environment,” he said.