Women’s Self-Help Groups to Boost Income via ‘Sakhi Aangan’ Centre with ₹10 Lakh Monthly Turnover Target
The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) launches the home-based food and craft hub “Sakhi Aangan” in Akurdi, exclusively run by women’s SHGs, aiming for over ₹10 lakh monthly turnover.
Pune | November 13, 2025: In a major boost to women-led entrepreneurship, the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation has launched ‘Sakhi Aangan’, a dedicated business centre in Akurdi designed exclusively for women’s self-help groups (SHGs). The centre aims to empower women through sustainable income-generation, skill development, entrepreneurial exposure and a structured marketplace. With 49 stalls allotted entirely to women entrepreneurs, the civic body has set an impressive monthly turnover target of ₹10 lakh, marking a shift towards an enterprise-driven model of women’s economic growth.
What sets Sakhi Aangan apart is its fully transparent and digital allotment process. All stalls were distributed through an online e-auction, eliminating favouritism and ensuring equal opportunity. The high level of participation reflected the enthusiasm among SHGs, with bids ranging across a competitive range depending on stall size and location. The market will showcase homemade food products, handcrafted goods, textiles, snacks, eco-friendly items and other household-based entrepreneurial outputs.
The centre has also adopted an inclusive model, reserving stalls for women with disabilities, transgender entrepreneurs, tribal women, COVID-warrior SHGs and groups registered under various government livelihood schemes. This ensures that marginalised communities get a platform to participate in structured commerce and gain financial independence.
Officials highlighted that Sakhi Aangan is more than a commercial facility — it is a capacity-building environment. Women will receive guidance on business management, packaging, branding, digital payments, marketing and customer engagement. The centre’s interior design is inspired by local heritage and women’s empowerment themes, creatively developed through a youth-led hackathon. This makes the space both aesthetically appealing and socially meaningful.
For the municipal corporation, the goal is clear: to transition from a welfare-centric approach to a model that promotes entrepreneurship, dignity of labour and long-term self-sufficiency. Women’s SHGs form the backbone of household-level economic activity in the region, and providing them with a professional retail space can significantly multiply their income potential. With stable earnings, officials believe more women will join SHGs, strengthening the local economy and encouraging home-grown businesses.
Residents and civic groups have welcomed the initiative, noting that a women-exclusive entrepreneurial hub can inspire thousands of families across PCMC’s rapidly urbanising region. If the centre achieves its turnover goals, Sakhi Aangan could become a model for other cities, proving how municipal-supported micro-enterprise clusters can reshape local economies.
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