Now, malls to empower women entrepreneurs

Four malls to be set up in city with a view to help at least 100 businesswomen market their products and services

Now, malls to empower women entrepreneurs

Four malls to be set up in city with a view to help at least 100 businesswomen market their products and services

Soon, there will be malls exclusively to cater to women entrepreneurs. Such malls will offer a platform for women to promote their products. "We are always trying to find ways to search and create big markets to uplift women entrepreneurs. This is a business-to-business activity. It will give women entrepreneurs access to the corporate world," said Mrunalini Bhalerao, head of Yugandhara, a forum for marketing and trading services.

Taking the initiative: (from left) Mrunalini Bhalerao, Shobha Javalgikar,
Prachi Dhulugade speak about their plan.u00a0 Pic/Vivek Sabnis

Bhalerao has started a mission 'kitchen to corporate'. "This is for women who struggle to manage their homes and businesses single-handedly. Many of them take sincere efforts towards the quality of their products or services but lack dynamic marketing infrastructure. These malls shall help them establish a network, said Bhalerao.

In three years
The malls are set to come up in Kothrud, Pune Station area, Aundh and Tingre Nagar in a span of three years, said Shobha Javalgekar of the Maharashtra Udyojakata Vikas Kendra. "The basic survey has been carried out. Funding for the malls will be arranged from banks or funding agencies. This will be sorted out once the project project report is finished," Javalgekar said. "We have already identified over 100 women entrepreneurs in the city who want to join hands for this ambitious plan. This is different from Bachat Gat (a government scheme for women) as they already have their own infrastructure to promote their products."

Prachi Dhulugade, an entrepreneur working for the packaging industry, said that women had talent but lacked professional approach. "The malls shall have more variety and innovative products.u00a0 People should buy them not only because they are made by women, but for their quality and uniqueness," she said. "We are keeping over 200 small and big products with some innovative ones. It includes food processors, gift articles and even technology-based equipments like electricity and fuel savers."

Suryakant Pathak, MD, Grahak Peth (customer forum) who runs a cooperative mall, welcomed the ideau00a0 and said the government should promote them by reducing value-added tax and sales tax. "Such malls will help women by eschewing middle men and making products cheaper, he said.

40 Total number of malls in the city
32 Number of private malls in the city
8 Number of cooperative society malls

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