SARAS Mela 2026: First National Edition Outside Delhi-NCR

The National SARAS Mela 2026, running at Punnami Ghat in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, is the first edition of the fair to be placed anywhere outside the Delhi-NCR region. It began on 13 October 2026 and stays open until 31 October 2026. The fair belongs to the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), the Centre’s flagship effort against rural poverty, and its purpose is to put the goods of village women in front of buyers, consumers and institutions rather than only on display.

Who is selling at Vijayawada

Roughly 1,500 women entrepreneurs from self-help groups (SHGs), Lakhpati Didis among them, have travelled from 34 states and union territories, and their goods fill more than 650 stalls. Shoppers walk past Phulkari from Punjab, Pashmina from Jammu and Kashmir, Ikat and Telia weaves from Telangana and Paunchei from Mizoram, besides Meenakari, Dokra, brasswork, woodcraft and traditional paintings. The signature piece of the ground is a 16-foot installation titled SHAKTI - The Spirit of Lakhpati Didi. Two public bodies back the fair: NABARD, the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, and NIRDPR, the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj.

From 1999 to a national network

The very first National SARAS Mela was held in Delhi in 1999 with about 65 beneficiaries. Counting every edition since, 117 National SARAS Melas have been organised and their yearly sales have passed Rs 200 crore. Each state and union territory is expected to hold at least two state-level fairs a year, which lifts the country’s annual tally to roughly 50 such events, and regional and district fairs sit below them. Taking a national fair out of the capital region follows the same thinking that sent BRICS and G20 meetings to venues across the country.

The Lakhpati Didi ladder

Pavilions, food court and the digital side

The ground is divided into themed spaces instead of plain retail rows. The Lakhpati Didi Pavilion seats women already earning above Rs 10 lakh a year, a few of them past Rs 1 crore, who explain their products and business models to other members. The Learning and Knowledge Pavilion holds masterclasses on packaging, branding, business proposals, e-commerce and social media selling, with NABARD, FICCI, CII, ITC, Hindustan Unilever, Amazon and Flipkart taking part. The Convergence Pavilion seats the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, the Ministry of Textiles, ONDC, Government eMarketplace (GeM) and TRIFED so that credit, certification and scheme support can be sorted out on the spot. A Demonstration Pavilion shows pottery, needlework and mirror-work embroidery being done live.

The India Food Court runs 50 stalls and brings in more than 200 first-generation women food-service entrepreneurs from over 28 states and union territories, serving Litti Chokha, Hyderabadi Dum Biryani, Mushroom Pitha from Assam, Makke Di Roti with Saag, Vana Sundari from Attappadi and Chausela from Chhattisgarh. Payments there run mainly on UPI, with coupon-based cash counters kept for elderly visitors. Beyond the gates, the eSARAS platform and the SARAS Gallery sell the same products online, and a SARAS Mela Digital App brought in during 2025 handles SHG nominations and attendance. The fair is counted among the steps taken during the SEVA Pakhwada that began on 2 October 2026, and it carries the Vocal for Local and Atmanirbhar Bharat message.