Tatsat Chronicle Magazine

Sakhi, a Hindustan Zinc’s venture for women empowerment through MSMEs

August 30, 2021

Hindustan Zinc has been running women empowerment interventions in local communities with projects involving 194 functional village organisations (VOs) and 5 federations employing over 27,000 women across seven locations. The company under its micro-enterprise initiative – Sakhi Utpadan Samiti, aims to provide sustainable livelihood opportunities to rural and tribal women in five districts of Rajasthan – Ajmer, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand & Udaipur, and Pantnagar in Uttarakhand. The projects are being run through the sectors of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

Sakhi addresses the socio-economic challenges faced by women by developing their capacities in leadership, skill development, finance management, and entrepreneurship. It is one of the many interventions the company undertakes for the community that is one of the primary pillars of its operational ethos. Keeping ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ as their core principle, Hindustan Zinc’s Sakhi Utpadan Samiti runs 4 Agri-businesses and 2 Textile units and source high-quality, and chemical-free produce from rural women farmers.

They offer a fine range of agricultural and textile products for sale across India. Sakhi Self Help Group program is in alignment with the government’s efforts on financial inclusion of women to encourage women entrepreneurship. ‘Katori’ and ‘Upaya’ – Sakhi’s marketing entities that bridge the gap between rural women and the end consumer work in tandem with women’s collectives to aid in their evolution into independent and sustainable businesses.