Sakhi products now reach urban consumers through partnership with Le Marche
Exploring new avenues with millet production unit established at Dariba
Expanding livelihood atSakhi Microenterprise engaging over 420 Sakhi Didi’s
Udaipur:Just a few years ago, uncertainty defined Ms. Manju Devi’s life, when she lost her husband to tuberculosis in 2019. Widowed at a young age and solely responsibility to raise her two children, she depended on seasonal farm work and unpredictable wages to support her family. Today, she operates advanced processing machinery, earns a steady monthly income of ₹8,000, and stands as an example of how economic opportunities can transform lives. Manju’s journey is one among hundreds being shaped through Hindustan Zinc Limited’s (BSE: 500188 | NSE: HINDZINC)Sakhi Utpadan Samiti – the Microenterprise initiative, which is enabling women to turn skills into sustainable livelihoods and thriving enterprises. The initiative now engages 426 women, with their collective income witnessing a 43% year-on-year growth, increasing from ₹23 lakh in FY26 to ₹32.84 lakh.
The growing impact of Sakhi is also reflected in the expansion of its brands Daichi that features a diverse portfolio of high-quality FMCG products including pickles, honey, spices, pulses, namkeen, oil and ghee and Upaya, the clothing brand of the enterprise, cumulatively comprisingof 14 production units across Rajasthan and Uttarakhand. What began with traditional skills and local resources has evolved into a diverse portfolio of products, with Sakhi Didis now producing crochet products, groundnuts oils and millet-based products, alongside their existing offerings. This growing product basket is enabling women to explore new markets while building on skills rooted in their communities.
As part of this expansion, a new millet production unit has been established at Dariba, creating an additional avenue for women to participate in value-added food production. The unit will support the production of millet-based products while strengthening local enterprise opportunities and encouraging the use of traditional, locally sourced grains.
Taking these products beyond local markets, Sakhi Microenterprise through a partnership with Le Marche, its products now available across three on-ground stores in Delhi, complementing its presence on leading marketplaces such as Blinkit, Amazon, Flipkart, ONDC, its dedicated e-commerce platform, ‘Heartswithfingers’ tapping into growing digital adoption and expanding consumer reach.The partnership connects women-led enterprises with an urban customer base, creating greater visibility for their products while opening new avenues for market access and income generation.
The initiative’s approach draws on the enduring idea of ‘Swavalamban’ – building self-reliance through local skills, enterprise and dignified livelihoods. By creating opportunities for women to produce, earn and participate in markets, Sakhi is helping strengthen community-level economic resilience while keeping traditional skills and local resources at the heart of enterprise development.
Through its growing network of production centres and evolving product portfolio, Sakhi Microenterprise continues to create pathways for women to transform skills into sustainable sources of income. Hindustan Zinc, a Vedanta Group company continues to advance its vision of holistic community development through various social interventions and community development initiatives, nurturing education, building skills, enabling sustainable livelihoods, empowering women, strengthening healthcare, and preserving the environment. With a footprint that spans over 4,100 villages, Hindustan Zinc is positively transforming the lives of more than 2.6 million people and remains deeply committed to fostering inclusive growth and long-term social impact aligning to the company’s 2030 sustainability goals.
