Government Schemes

eSARAS marketplace connects women SHG products to national buyers

By TestNeeti Editorial TeamPublished Thursday, 2 July 2026 2 min readSource: GKTodayArticle 15 of 21

eSARAS is the official online marketplace of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) for products made by women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and their federations. It was launched on 28 October 2022 by Union Minister of State for Rural Development Faggan Singh Kulaste and developed by the Digital India Corporation. DAY-NRLM is a flagship programme of the Ministry of Rural Development, and eSARAS provides marketing, branding and logistics support, connecting rural producers with national markets. As of 1 July 2026, more than 8.62 crore women SHG members had a digital storefront through eSARAS. The platform has integrated with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) and the UMANG platform; through ONDC, SHG products reach over 11 buyer applications and more than 20 crore potential buyers. Products include Chanderi sarees, marble handicrafts and Pashmina goods.

Key Facts & Details

9 points

1
eSARAS is the official online marketplace of DAY-NRLM for products of women Self-Help Groups (SHGs).
2
It was launched on 28 October 2022 by MoS Rural Development Faggan Singh Kulaste and developed by the Digital India Corporation.
3
As of 1 July 2026, more than 8.62 crore women SHG members had a digital storefront through eSARAS.
4
The platform integrated with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) and the UMANG platform.
5
Through ONDC, SHG products are available on more than 11 buyer applications and can reach over 20 crore potential buyers.
6
Product categories include Chanderi sarees from Madhya Pradesh, marble handicrafts from Rajasthan and Pashmina products from Jammu and Kashmir.

Deep Dive

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DAY-NRLM is a flagship rural livelihoods programme of the Ministry of Rural Development; 85% of eSARAS users were directly linked to its network as of February 2024.
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A permanent SARAS Aajeevika Gallery has been established at Baba Kharak Singh Marg in New Delhi.
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The SARAS Shakti Collection, a premium line, was introduced at the Rashtriya Gramin Vikas Sammelan 2026 for institutional and corporate buyers.

Exam Focus

Examiners may ask which mission eSARAS is linked to (DAY-NRLM), the ministry involved (Rural Development), or which digital commerce network it integrated with (ONDC).

Exam Relevance & Angle

eSARAS boosts women's economic empowerment by giving rural SHG producers direct access to national markets and better prices. Its integration with ONDC and UMANG widens reach to more than twenty crore potential buyers, supporting rural livelihoods, branding, logistics and financial inclusion at scale.

Target Exams

UPSC CSEState PCSSSC CGLRRB NTPCNABARD Grade AIBPS RRB Officer

Background & Context

The Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) is the Ministry of Rural Development's flagship programme to mobilise rural poor women into Self-Help Groups and strengthen their livelihoods. Self-Help Groups (SHGs) are small community-based collectives that pool savings and access credit. The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is an open interoperable e-commerce network democratising online retail, while UMANG aggregates government services. Platforms like eSARAS and the SARAS Aajeevika brand market rural and handicraft products, connecting artisans and women producers with wider institutional and retail markets.