Bahraich, Oct 29 (PTI) In a significant step toward rural employment generation and women's economic empowerment, a new tech platform for ecommerce will on board local women entrepreneurs in a bid to help them connect with broader markets, officials said Monday.
The platform ' titled E-Shakti ' has been developed by Class 12 student Tejas Dahiya and would soon be launched in a mobile application format, they said.
"E-Shakti will allow 50,000 women in our district to engage in digital commerce," District Magistrate Monika Rani said.
"This platform links rural communities with large markets, enabling artisans, farmers, and small-scale producers to showcase their products, equipping them with digital skills, and promoting self-reliance," she said.
She said unlike big online platforms, this app and website would allow non-branded products to be sold.
"We have a lot of artisans who make products using the stem of wheat, fibres of banana tree, bio fertilizers etc. However, they are in the initial phase of entrepreneurial efforts and need support to showcase their products to a wider customer base," the DM told PTI.
"The vendors on the platform would be SHGs which will be registered by us and only after that issued credentials to login to the system for sale of their products," she said.
The concept for this platform was floated by the Bahraich administration, the DM said, adding that while the website is ready, the mobile app is expected to be launched after Diwali.
"The website also needs some refinement, which would be done eventually," she said.
The platform, created in collaboration with the National Informatics Center (NIC), aligns with initiatives like the National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM), National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), and One District One Product (ODOP).
"We envision this as an opportunity for women in remote areas to generate income and expand their businesses without needing significant capital or infrastructure," Rani added.
Deputy Commissioner, National Rural Health Mission, Deepak Singh said the proposed app has come to the district through the National Information System (NIS).
Singh said there are 20,197 women self-help groups here, with more than two lakh women associated.
"The platform will facilitate the sale of NRLM, NULM, and ODOP products, providing immediate benefits for over 50,000 women," he added.
Initially launching with a cash-on-delivery payment option to ensure transaction security, E-Shakti will later integrate online payment features as the platform scales. PTI COR/KIS NB