Bariatu’s Deepali Banerjee has not only been running her self-help group (SHG), Deepali Hastshilp Kendra, along with 50 women to make bamboo and jute items, she has also been selling the products abroad online through a digital platform.

Kanke’s Rajlakshmi Devi, who is associated with SHG Monika Sasam Sahayata Samuha, also makes similar products, but depends solely on exhibitions to sell the items.

To facilitate the entry of women entrepreneurs who were yet to cash in on the online boom, the Union women and child development (WCD) ministry on Saturday organised a workshop at a city hotel to promote Mahila e-Haat, an online marketing platform where women vendors can display and sell their products.

During the daylong workshop, more than 100 participants were briefed about the concept and explained how they could boost their business through the Mahila e-Haat, a unique direct online marketing platform leveraging technology for supporting women entrepreneurs/SHGs/ NGOs for showcasing the products and services. “Mahila e-Haat has earned very good acceptability,” WCD ministry additional secretary Ajay Tirkey said, adding there was no dearth of marketing opportunities if their products and services were good.

“There is a need for hand-holding so that those who want to become entrepreneurs can also be promoted,” he said, adding that the government was willing to accommodate and promote all such women.

“For a beginner, identification of business opportunities is of utmost importance,” said Nandini Azad, a governing body member of Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK). She added that women who plan to float SHGs should take along all members so that no one felt deprived or exploited.

“Our SHG has been associated with the Mahila e-Haat for about two years now. We have been getting orders even from abroad,” Banerjee said, adding that had bagged a bulk order from Sri Lanka recently and had also been invited to participate in an exhibition in USA.

“We had participated in an exhibition in Gujarat last year and got several orders and offers,” she added.

“The quality of products has to be good and delivery must be made on time,” Banerjee said when asked how a SHG can establish and maintain its creditability, particularly on a digital platform.

In the technical session that followed, entrepreneurs were apprised about how they could get loans from RMK and also register themselves on Mahila e-Haat and do business online.

The Union government had set up the RMK in 1993 under the women and child development ministry for providing micro loans to women at low interest so that they could pursue livelihood activities, housing and micro-enterprises.