Hundreds of rural women artisans got their biggest national stage on Thursday, October 15, 2026, as President Draupadi Murmu inaugurated the National Saras Mela-2026 in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh — a fair that exists for one purpose: to put the work of India's grassroots women collectives in front of the nation.

The Chief Minister's Office of Andhra Pradesh confirmed that Governor Abdul Nazir, Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, and Union Ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan, K. Rammohan Naidu, and Pemmасani Chandrasekhar received the President at the mela grounds before the formal proceedings began. Both President Murmu and CM Naidu addressed the gathering, and the President joined DWCRA women from across several states for a group photograph — a moment that crystallised the fair's central message.

What Saras Mela Actually Does for Rural Women

Saras Melas are organised by the Ministry of Rural Development under the Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) to build direct market access for women Self Help Groups. The concept is straightforward but consequential: instead of selling through middlemen, SHG members travel to a central venue, display their handicrafts, textiles, and food products, and retain the full margin themselves.

Andhra Pradesh has a particular stake in this model. The state's DWCRA (Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas) programme has been a cornerstone of its rural livelihoods strategy for decades, weaving women's collectives into credit, skilling, and marketing networks. Hosting a national edition of the mela in Vijayawada is both a logistical asset for local groups and a political signal that the state sees rural women's enterprise as a flagship priority.

A Presidential Visit, a State's Ambition

The presence of President Murmu — who has consistently championed tribal and rural women's welfare since assuming office — alongside three central ministers and the state's top executive, underscores that this edition of Saras Mela carries more than ceremonial weight. It arrives at a moment when the NDA-led Andhra Pradesh government under CM Naidu is keen to signal its alignment with Centre-driven rural welfare schemes following the Telugu Desam Party's return to power in 2024.

For the DWCRA women in the group photograph, the optics translate to something tangible: national visibility, potential bulk buyers, and a government infrastructure — state and central — publicly committed to their market access. Whether the mela produces announced policy follow-throughs on new financing or distribution linkages for participating SHGs will be the real metric to watch in the days ahead.