Visitors to the Exhibition stand where hand woven baskets and other items were displayed at the TREC-STEP Orientation Programme in collaboration with Maheela Power in Tiruchi.
Recently, budding women entrepreneurs who engage in producing a range of ecologically friendly products were provided with an opportunity to reach out to more customers through a program that was launched by Tiruchi Regional Engineering College – Science and Technology Entrepreneurs (TREC-STEP) in conjunction with an online platform known as Maheela Power.
“I think the biggest mistake for women entrepreneurs is that they don’t go out into the market but they believe that there are possible customers who will come looking for them. This does not work so we thought it better to help them get onto the internet which would be the easiest way to expand their market,” said Bindu Balakrishnan, assistant general manager, TREC-STEP.
Maheela Power is an online platform that assists women sell their handmade delicacies, accessories or cloths across the whole country.
45 women entrepreneurs from Tiruchi district were trained on product branding, photography skills cataloguing and packaging essentials during a workshop held under TREC-STEP’s Gender Enabling Network of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (GENIE) project funded by European Union (EU).
One-minute profile videos were accompanied by photographs of 15 Women Entrepreneurs and their Products.
In addition Siva Subramanian founder director SAS Strategies First conducted a special session on Packaging. Firms have set up exhibition stalls displaying their goods
“For example two out of these fifteen entrepreneurs have been directly selected for being listed on Maheela power website while some others among this group have been invited for participating in platform’s exhibition taking place at Chennai on July,” Ms Balakrishnan disclosed.
The partnership between TREC-STEP and Maheela Power aimed at giving greater visibility small scale such enterprises operated by local women traders. It said, “This alliance is exploring opportunities with leading retail stores in Chennai and other areas to promote products of women climate ventures like doormats made from textile waste.”
