Government to help 3,000 women log into its E-Marketplace

New Delhi : From jute bags to ethnic file folders to hand-pounded ragi breakfast cereal to pure mountain honey – all this and much more made by women living in the remotest corners of the country would now be available on the government e-Marketplace, or GeM portal.

In the run up to International Women’s Day on March 8, the Centre is planning a mega push for women entrepreneurs.

Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi would give up his social media accounts to women who inspire, the Centre would put 150 women self-help groups (SHGs), or over 3,000 women, on its e-marketplace giving them a huge platform to sell their products.

This would integrate 150 SHGs with government’s public finance management system (PFMS), which would mean easy payment for their sales. This step would be taken on Saturday — a day before Inter-national Women’s Day.

The products that would be included in GeM on Saturday include file covers, envelopes, paintings, wall hangings, coarse grains, millet, jowar, atta, cloth and jute bags and honey. Apart from these, the rural development ministry would unveil an online application system which would help women self-help groups in getting bank loans online. A senior official told ET, “We are trying to ensure improved access to bank loans for women self-help groups.” Under the new system, a woman entrepreneur would be able to apply for a bank loan through a mobile app or an online system.

The system has already integrated the banks so they can access the applicant details. Once the loan is sanctioned, an SMS alert would be generated. This would be the first time the woman entrepreneur would be required to visit the bank. Through this system, the banks would monitor repayment.

After opening GeM to 150 SHGs on Saturday, the Centre would extend it to 58.50 lakh such groups reaching over 6 crore women entrepreneurs in rural India.

The Centre has written to state governments and designated one officer under State Rural Livelihood Mission (SRLM) as GeM coordinator to help SHGs in registering online with the e-Marketplace. Steps are also being taken to facilitate registration at common service centres in villages.