Author: Shilpa Mittal Singh, Joint Managing Director, Women on Wings
Key takeaway
Unlocking large-scale economic opportunity for women producers in rural India requires a collaborative approach to market aggregation, simultaneously addressing product quality and supply chain efficiency, led by the Ministry of Rural Development through a dedicated special purpose vehicle.
We are at a juncture where market aggregation is essential for creating large-scale, sustainable access for women producers in rural India. Simply put, we must connect these producers to larger markets effectively.
To successfully tap into these markets, we must address two parallel and fundamental challenges: product quality and supply chain efficiency. Neither can be tackled in isolation; they must move forward simultaneously to ensure reliable, high-value market access.
The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) is uniquely positioned to spearhead this nation-wide effort. However, to anchor the complex, long-term work, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) structure is recommended.
Real and lasting progress is contingent upon several critical factors:
- Active participation across state systems: Success requires buy-in and collaborative effort from state-level departments and agencies
- Sustained financial commitment: Long-term results demand consistent and adequate financial support
- Strong and visionary leadership: Clear direction is needed to align diverse stakeholders
The core truth is this: no single department can succeed alone.
Collaboration is not optional, it is the only viable path to large-scale impact.
We must also be strategic in our approach. Choosing a focused product portfolio, one that is strictly based on genuine supply capacity from the women producers and proven consumer demand, is paramount. Attempting to do too much too soon risks diluting our efforts and slowing down the expected results.
The payoff for unlocking this opportunity is significant: it will not only boost incomes and build economic resilience for rural women but will also integrate them firmly into formal, high-value supply chains, transforming lives and communities.
Shilpa Mittal Singh joined the “From local to global: pathways for women-led market transformation’ panel at the AWESUM Conference hosted by ACCESS Development Services and moderated by Krishna Thacker from the Gates Foundation to discuss these critical next steps. Fellow panelists: Ajit B. Chavan (Government e Marketplace (GeM), Aparna Sanjay (Community Action Collaborative (CAC) and Rajesh Jain (Ayekart).
