As the Digital India programme completes 11 years, one of its most significant success stories is unfolding far from India’s metropolitan centres – in villages, small towns and rural communities where millions of women entrepreneurs are using digital technology to transform their livelihoods.
At the heart of this transformation is eSaras, a government-backed digital commerce platform that is connecting rural producers directly with customers across the country. Developed by the Digital India Corporation (DIC) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in collaboration with the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), the platform is being implemented under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
Designed as an end-to-end digital marketplace, eSaras enables Self-Help Groups (SHGs), women entrepreneurs, producer collectives and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) to showcase and sell their products nationwide. By combining Digital Public Infrastructure with rural entrepreneurship, the initiative is creating sustainable livelihood opportunities while advancing the government’s vision of inclusive digital growth.
A Digital Marketplace with Grassroots Impact
Over the past few years, eSaras has emerged as a significant digital commerce platform supporting rural entrepreneurship across India.
Today, the initiative covers more than 8.99 crore registered Self-Help Group members, making it one of the world’s largest women-led livelihood ecosystems. The platform currently offers more than 1,400 products, while over 800 buyers access SHG products through Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC)-enabled buyer applications.
To complement online sales, more than 50 SARAS Melas are organised annually, providing rural entrepreneurs additional opportunities to showcase and market their products. SHG products are also available through 11 or more buyer applications integrated with ONDC, significantly expanding market visibility and business opportunities.
The initiative is helping rural women entrepreneurs strengthen household incomes, preserve traditional skills and contribute to building a more inclusive and self-reliant economy.
Empowering Rural Women Through Digital Commerce
Women-led Self-Help Groups have become a key driver of rural economic development under DAY-NRLM, and eSaras is strengthening this ecosystem by giving them direct access to national markets.
The platform provides comprehensive digital support, including seller onboarding through the trusted LokOS ecosystem, online product catalogues, inventory management, secure digital payment systems, integrated logistics, order management and multilingual access powered by BHASHINI.
By reducing dependence on intermediaries and enabling direct interaction with customers, eSaras allows rural women to independently build enterprises, improve their incomes and become active participants in India’s growing digital economy.
The platform is also expected to play an important role in supporting the government’s vision of creating 6 crore Lakhpati Didis by 2029 by enabling verified rural women entrepreneurs to expand their businesses across the country.
Beyond Agriculture: Creating Year-Round Livelihoods
For millions of rural households, agriculture remains the primary source of income. However, agricultural earnings are often seasonal, leaving families vulnerable during non-harvest periods.
eSaras addresses this challenge by helping Self-Help Groups and rural producer organisations diversify their income sources throughout the year.
The platform promotes a wide variety of livelihood activities, including food processing, handicrafts, handloom products, honey, dairy products, herbal products, personal care items, home décor and farm-based enterprises.
This diversification enables rural families to generate sustainable income beyond agriculture while reducing dependence on seasonal farming activities.
Encouraging Value Addition
A key objective of eSaras is not merely to provide market access but to encourage rural entrepreneurs to create greater value from locally available resources.
The initiative supports Self-Help Groups in processing agricultural produce into higher-value products such as chips, papad, pickles, jams, squashes, candies, packaged spices, processed pulses and bottled honey.
Instead of selling raw agricultural produce, producer groups are encouraged to process, package and brand their products, thereby improving quality, extending shelf life and increasing market value.
This approach enables rural entrepreneurs to earn better returns while strengthening local value chains.
Building Digital Entrepreneurship Skills
Technology alone cannot transform livelihoods without adequate skills and capacity building.
Recognising this, DAY-NRLM provides extensive training to women associated with Self-Help Groups in areas such as digital onboarding, product listing, branding, packaging, product photography, digital marketing, inventory management, order processing, customer service, financial literacy and logistics management.
These initiatives equip rural entrepreneurs with the knowledge required to independently manage online businesses and compete effectively in broader markets.
By combining digital infrastructure with capacity building, eSaras is nurturing a new generation of rural digital entrepreneurs.
Showcasing India’s Rural Diversity
The platform features an extensive range of products that reflect the diversity of India’s rural economy.
Popular categories include pickles, papad, honey, spices, millet-based food products, bamboo and cane crafts, wooden handicrafts, terracotta products, handloom sarees, shawls, cotton garments, home décor items, herbal soaps, essential oils, dairy products, ghee and woollen products.
Products linked to animal husbandry and allied livelihood activities undertaken by Self-Help Groups are also promoted, creating market opportunities across multiple sectors of the rural economy.
Digital Public Infrastructure at Work
Built on the principles of Digital Public Infrastructure, eSaras integrates several government-backed digital systems to provide a seamless experience for sellers and buyers.
The platform is integrated with UMANG, secure digital payment systems, logistics partners and API-based digital verification services. Seller verification through LokOS enhances trust and transparency, while multilingual services powered by BHASHINI improve accessibility across different regions.
To ensure inclusivity, the platform also offers accessibility features such as text-to-speech support, adjustable text sizes and visual accessibility options, making digital commerce easier for persons with disabilities, senior citizens and users with diverse accessibility needs.
These technology-driven features create a secure, transparent and citizen-friendly digital marketplace connecting rural producers with consumers across India.
Success Story: Khurja Pottery Finds a National Market
The impact of eSaras is reflected in the journey of Falak Self-Help Group from Khurja, Uttar Pradesh, known for its GI-tagged Khurja Pottery.
Before joining the platform, the group’s handcrafted pottery products were largely confined to local markets, exhibitions and regional fairs.
Over the past three-and-a-half years, eSaras has enabled the group to sell its handcrafted pottery to customers across India. Reliable logistics support has ensured the safe delivery of fragile products, while the digital marketplace has significantly expanded its customer base.
The initiative has strengthened the group’s livelihood opportunities, enhanced the visibility of Khurja Pottery and demonstrated how digital commerce can preserve traditional crafts while empowering rural women entrepreneurs.
Expanding the Digital Ecosystem
The eSaras platform has steadily evolved since its launch.
The web portal was introduced on 28 October 2022, followed by the Android mobile application on 28 June 2023. Subsequent integration with ONDC, logistics partners, secure payment gateways, Power BI-based analytics, digital seller verification systems and UMANG has further strengthened its reach and operational efficiency.
As a result, women-led Self-Help Groups producing handicrafts, textiles, processed foods and a wide range of rural products are no longer dependent solely on exhibitions and seasonal fairs. Instead, they now have access to year-round digital commerce, allowing them to connect with customers across the country.
Digital India Driving Inclusive Growth
As Digital India completes 11 years, eSaras illustrates how digital public infrastructure can be leveraged to create meaningful economic opportunities for rural communities.
By connecting millions of women entrepreneurs with national markets, encouraging value addition, strengthening digital capabilities and preserving traditional crafts, the initiative is helping transform rural livelihoods while advancing the broader goals of inclusive development, women’s economic empowerment and self-reliance.
With its expanding digital ecosystem and growing network of entrepreneurs, eSaras is emerging as an important pillar of India’s efforts to build a digitally connected and economically empowered rural economy.
