ITANAGAR, 6 Jun: In a significant move to promote rural entrepreneurship and digital empowerment, the Arunachal State Rural Livelihoods Mission (ArSRLM), in partnership with Amazon India, hosted an ‘Amazon Karigar’ workshop at the banquet hall here on Friday.
The workshop focused on strengthening the digital and e-commerce capabilities of women self-help group (SHG) entrepreneurs and connecting their traditional handcrafted products with wider markets through online platforms.
The event was inaugurated by Rural Development Minister Ojing Tasing, who urged SHG members to enhance their skills and make full use of the support extended through the ArSRLM-Amazon India collaboration.
He highlighted the comprehensive support provided under the ‘Arunima’ initiative, which includes training in packaging, branding, and digital marketing, along with regular exposure visits to help SHG members become competitive, market-ready entrepreneurs.
RD&PR Secretary Dr Sonal Swaroop underscored the importance of branding and sustained market access for women-led rural enterprises. She reiterated the government’s commitment to advancing rural livelihoods and entrepreneurship, and urged all SHG members to “make the most out of this collaborative approach between ArSRLM and Amazon India.”
ArSRLM State Mission Director Sangeeta Yirang suggested establishing a dedicated SHG marketing outlet in Itanagar, which would serve both as a retail space for SHG products and as a fulfilment centre for e-commerce orders. “This step,” she noted, “would significantly boost visibility and direct sales for SHG entrepreneurs.”
The technical sessions of the workshop were led by Amazon India business development manager Siddharth Luthra, who provided detailed guidance on the Amazon Karigar and the Amazon Saheli initiatives.
The sessions covered essential aspects such as onboarding, cataloguing, pricing, packaging, and branding to help SHG products succeed in the digital marketplace.
ArSRLM State Mission Manager (Non-Farm) Nabam Tubin conducted a session on the strategic roadmap for scaling SHG enterprises, and shared the strategy of the ArSRLM to on-board SHG products.
The workshop brought together SHG entrepreneurs, community resource persons-enterprise promotion (CRP-EPs), and ArSRLM officials, marking a key milestone in the mission’s efforts to create sustainable market linkages and digitally empower rural women entrepreneurs across Arunachal Pradesh.
