CM Dhami’s Big Rural Push: Uttarakhand Plans New Market Opportunities for Women and Local Entrepreneurs

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami launches Chaupal-2026 to boost rural entrepreneurship, support women-led businesses, promote local products and create livelihood opportunities across all 13 districts.

Uttarakhand has intensified its efforts towards sustainable livelihood and entrepreneurial opportunities for rural skills and products. The Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday launched 'Chaupal-2026' under the Mukhyamantri Udyamshala Yojana at Main Sevak Sadan, CM’s Camp Office. The scheme aims at benefiting young entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurs, SHGs and rural entrepreneurs with training, livelihood and market linkages.

CM informed that the scheme had benefited more than 13,000 entrepreneurs till date, while 8,000+ women entrepreneurs and SHGs have got benefit with entrepreneurship and livelihood opportunities.

State Level Marketing Centre Inaugurated at Dehradun

At the programme, Dhami unveiled the state level marketing center at Tera Gaon, IT Park, Dehradun for promoting and marketing the products of self help group in all 13 districts of Uttarakhand.

The Chief Minister expressed that Uttarakhand has great potential in terms of local products, traditional skills and rural entrepreneurship. He highlighted that youth of Uttarakhand should start creating jobs for themselves than becoming just job seekers. Women and farmers should also get such opportunities to boost their income.

Over 5 Lakh Rural Women Associated With Self-Help Groups

As per Dhami, over 5 lakh rural women from Uttarakhand have been associated with over 70,000 self-help groups under the scheme of National Rural Livelihood Mission. Over 3 lakh rural women have been awarded the title of Lakhpati Didis based on the numbers provided in the programme.

In recent times, women are making efforts in selling products such as millets, pulses, spices, honey, pickles, jams, handicrafts, woollens and other forms of traditional art in the form of business. The government will now be paying attention to the packaging, marketing and making the product available in the markets.

‘House of Himalayas’ for Promoting Local Products

The Chief Minister spoke about the creation of ‘House of Himalayas’ which is essentially the umbrella brand that was created to make Uttarakhand’s local products known in the larger markets. As per him, the creation of this project falls under the larger theme of “Vocal for Local”.

The government is also improving the rural haat, marketing centre, collection centre and agricultural service centres for the benefit of producers.

Rural Entrepreneurship Considered As a Means to Control Migration

Dhami feels that more prosperous village economies will be able to solve the problem of rural migration to an extent. By means of the REED initiative, the government is striving to link poor rural families to means of livelihood.

The chaupals have been organised in all the 13 districts with the help of promotional vans to bring information of government schemes to the villages.

Women Entrepreneurs Honored

In this program, Dhami honored Lakhpati Didis and the women entrepreneurs. Some training and development modules, as well as a book and an annual report of the Uttarakhand State Rural Livelihood Mission, were also launched.