President Murmu Graces National SARAS Mela at Vijayawada

President Droupadi Murmu attended the National SARAS Mela at Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh on 15 October 2026. The fair has been put together by the Union Ministry of Rural Development along with the Government of Andhra Pradesh. The President walked through the SARAS stalls and spoke with the Lakhpati Didis selling there.

What the fair looks like

This edition has drawn around 1500 women entrepreneurs from self-help groups and Lakhpati Didis, who have come from 34 States and Union Territories. They are displaying their goods at more than 650 stalls, and the mela stays open until 31 October 2026.

What the President said about self-help groups

Rural women, the President said, carry a vital share of the work in agriculture, and self-help groups have opened a fresh path for them towards financial, technical and social strength. She was glad that women's entrepreneurship is climbing and that rural women now have a larger say in economic decisions, which she called necessary for development that is both fair and inclusive.

The numbers behind the movement

Over the past 12 years, the President noted, the count of women attached to these groups has crossed 10 crore, and they are linked to more than 90 lakh self-help groups. Their earnings improve the finances of their households, widen the scope for collective enterprise and push rural development that keeps women at the centre.

From beneficiaries to wealth creators

The Lakhpati Didi initiative, she said, has given rural women's empowerment a direction of its own, and participation in modern fields such as digital services and renewable energy is opening new skilling routes. Rural women are no longer only receivers of scheme benefits; they have turned into wealth creators and are driving growth. The journey is far from over, she cautioned: a real test of empowerment is how much control a woman has over her own income and assets. She asked for community-based support for household care duties and for more women in climate-resilient enterprises.

SARAS Melas as rural markets

Such fairs, the President said, have grown into thriving rural markets that connect women entrepreneurs straight to buyers across the country. To reach the goal of a developed India by 2047, the gains of development must arrive in every village and every household, and self-help groups along with SARAS Melas can lead that effort.