Adani Foundation's Swabhimaan Initiative Helps 4,500 Women Turn Entrepreneurs; Inaugurates Sustainable Marketplace For Women With Cloud Kitchen
· Free Press Journal
Mumbai, March 12: The Adani Foundation, in collaboration with Mahila Arthik Vikas Mahamandal (MAVIM) and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), inaugurated Swateja Mart – a one-of-its-kind marketplace with a dedicated cloud kitchen run by women-led self-help groups.
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The platform has been set up under Adani Foundation and Adani Electricity's flagship initiative, Swabhimaan, which works to uplift women by providing them with education and a platform to become successful entrepreneurs.
Marketplace inaugurated at NCPA event
The marketplace was inaugurated at a ceremony held at the NCPA’s Tata Theatre on Thursday. The event, titled "Swabhimaan: The Rise of S.H.E," celebrated the journey of thousands of women who have transitioned from homemakers to successful entrepreneurs through the Swabhimaan programme.
It was attended by Adani Foundation’s Chairperson Dr. Priti Adani, Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare, Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde and Adani Foundation’s Chairperson Shilin Adani.
Platform for women-led self-help groups
Located in the municipal market in Malad (W)’s Sunder Nagar, Swateja Mart is designed as a sustainable marketplace that provides a dedicated platform for women-led Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to showcase and sell their products like handcrafted goods and gourmet food.
Apart from the physical mart, the women-made goods will also be sold on seven popular e-commerce platforms. A standout feature of the initiative is its cloud kitchen, which will offer professional culinary infrastructure to women entrepreneurs, enabling them to scale their food businesses by serving thousands of Mumbaikars through an exclusive tie-up with Swiggy.
Impact of the Swabhimaan initiative
Swabhimaan has already made a profound social and economic impact on urban underprivileged communities, as more than 4,500 women have benefited from the programme by gaining financial literacy, entrepreneurship training and market access.
The initiative has facilitated credit linkages worth over Rs 6 crore, fuelling the growth of 287 women-led self-help groups and has become a helping hand to more than 800 women becoming ‘lakhpati didis’.
Foundation plans large-scale expansion
Dr. Adani announced that the foundation aims to add one lakh women from Maharashtra to Swabhimaan in one year and 10 lakh Indian women to the initiative in the longer run.
“Even today lakhs of talented women are out of the mainstream, not because they aren’t capable but because of lack of opportunity, self-confidence and platform. Women spend 90% of their earnings on their children’s education and the family’s health and wellness. The initiative Swabhimaan rides on the same thought that women empowerment can only become a strong foundation for the society and the nation,” she said.
Leaders highlight importance of women’s empowerment
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis congratulated Adani Group and Adani Foundation for project Swabhimaan, calling it a driver of skill development, financial literacy and self dependence for women.
“When one woman becomes efficient, it makes the entire family efficient as her family, children and society’s future becomes bright. The self-confidence and hard work of these women will give a new direction to Maharashtra’s progress,” he added.
The event also witnessed the release of a coffee table book titled Swabhimaan, which tells stories of 45 women and their success with the help of Adani Foundation. A group of girl students from BMC schools performed a musical skit to portray that a family is not run only by a man, and a woman can also lead the family if she pursues her dreams.
MAVIM and BMC support women entrepreneurs
Tatkare informed that MAVIM has formed 1.63 lakh SHGs and has been joined by over 10 lakh women in Maharashtra.
“MAVIM has helped develop skills in women and Adani Foundation has helped provide a platform to these women. A lot of these women get into entrepreneurship only when the family’s earning stops. Financial literacy should not be conditioned but compulsion to become self dependent. A woman always thinks of her family before herself but they should also think of themselves to live a meaningful life,” she said.
Mumbai’s newly-elected Mayor Tawde recalled that the journey of her public life started with setting up a self-help group with 11 women.
She announced that the BMC will provide space to women SHGs to set up stalls at the business hubs at Mumbai’s entry gates, which are being conceptualised.
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