Hyderabad SARAS Mela gives rural women's groups a city market; 20,000 visit early

Telangana's Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister Seethakka formally inaugurated the SARAS Mela, a sales exhibition of products made by rural women's self-help groups, at the HMDA Grounds in Hyderabad on Sunday, 11 October 2026, and spoke in support of women entrepreneurs. The fair, organised by the state's Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP), runs from 7 to 18 October and brings together self-help groups from Telangana and other states. The minister visited stalls selling handicrafts, handloom, household goods, pickles, snacks and millet-based products. By its third day, the mela had drawn more than 20,000 visitors and recorded sales of over Rs 10 lakh, according to one report.

For rural women running small enterprises through self-help groups, finding buyers beyond the village can be as important as making the product. A city fair like SARAS gives these women direct access to urban buyers for nearly two weeks, along with a chance to test prices, learn what sells and take bulk orders.

The range of products shows the variety of rural enterprise. Traditional handlooms such as Pochampally, Gadwal and Narayanpet sit alongside food products like pickles and millet snacks, and crafts like wooden toys, clay pottery and Banjara handicrafts. Each stall represents a small business, often run collectively by a group of women.

Events of this kind are part of a wider push across states to turn self-help groups into enterprises. Andhra Pradesh, for example, recently set a target of five lakh women entrepreneurs, and the Union Budget for 2026-27 announced SHE-Marts, community-owned retail outlets to be run by self-help group federations. For Telangana, a busy SARAS Mela in the capital helps build brand recognition for rural products and gives SERP evidence of which goods have city demand.

The real test is what happens after the fair. Repeat orders, online listings and links with retailers will decide whether a successful week in Hyderabad turns into steady income in the villages.

Short-term: Women's self-help groups at the mela earn direct income and meet urban customers and bulk buyers over the remaining days of the fair.

Long-term: Regular exposure to city markets can help rural women's enterprises improve products, set better prices and build lasting sales channels.

Who is affected: Members of women's self-help groups in Telangana and other states, rural artisans and weavers, Hyderabad shoppers, and the state's rural development department.

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