Kudumbashree set to make its mark

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kudumbashree is all set to take on the markets with indigenous and branded products from its rural women entrepreneurs under a common label. The best and successful brands from its units would be brought under one common brand, ‘Kudumbashree community brand’.  To mark the launching of the new marketing initiative, Kudumbashree is bringing together as many as 40 brands from its many initiatives under one roof for a two-day expo, which will be held here from September 2 at the Panchayat Association Hall. The expo is also to provide a platform where traders could meet up with the Kudumbashree units for marketing ties.  Kudumbashree has selected some of its best and high quality products to be marketed under the common brand. They include four categories -apparels, food items, traditional health care products, and health and hygiene products for homes. As many as 40 products, which were lying scattered under different brands, will get a common branding. Kudumbashree also looks to carve a niche in the open market, outside the traditional Kudumbashree fold, and compete with the big brands by highlighting its hallmarks - purity, quality and Kerala taste.  A press statement here from Kudumbashree said that the micro-enterprises under Kudumbashree, through traditional marketing modes, garner around ` 125 crore annually. Home shops, daily fairs, monthly fairs and special fairs like Onam and Vishu are the existing marketing tools for the women’s  groups. ‘’More than the figures, what is more significant is the successful pattern of this livelihood mission by which thousands of poor families in the State could earn a steady income through these self-employment ventures. This has proved an effective tool of economic empowerment,’’ said Kudumbashree Executive Director Sarada Muraleedharan in a press release. The statement goes on to say that as many as 75,000 families, mostly from the below-poverty line segment, are associated with these ventures, putting up a fight with the big brands by producing high quality and affordable products. As in the past years, Kudumbashree is organising 1,165 special festival trade fairs, lining up varied products from 42,000 units, across the State during the Onam season. These fairs are being held at the State, district, taluk, block-municipal and village levels.