Public-Private Partnership in Marketing the SHG Products

Abstract

Self-Help groups (SHGs) have become an efficient vehicle for the development of the rural poor, both economically and socially. With the launching of Swamajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) on 1st April 1999 around 4 crore rural households have been benefited as they have come under the umbrella of SHG. In addition to SGSY, other organisations like banks and NGOs have been forming SHGs for economic improvement of the rural poor. The SHGs are provided with different types of income generating activities based on backward and forward linkages. In addition to the support by Central and State governments, private parties too have been supporting the SHGs by marketing their products. In the Pune district of Maharashtra many women SHGs were formed under the SGSY, supported by private parties. In this article 2 SHGs producing sanitary napkins and urea briquettes respectively, where marketing is carried out through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) are discussed.