As the Digital India programme completes 11 years, the government’s eSaras platform has emerged as a key driver of rural digital commerce, enabling women-led Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and producer collectives to access customers across India through a unified digital marketplace.
Developed by the Digital India Corporation (DIC) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in collaboration with the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), eSaras operates under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
Expanding rural market access
The platform currently supports over 8.99 crore registered SHG members, making it one of the world’s largest women-led livelihood ecosystems. It hosts more than 1,400 products, while over 800 buyers access SHG products through ONDC-enabled buyer applications.
The government also organises more than 50 SARAS Melas annually, while products are available through 11-plus ONDC-integrated buyer applications, significantly expanding market visibility for rural enterprises.
Digital tools for women entrepreneurs
eSaras provides an end-to-end digital commerce ecosystem, including digital onboarding through the LokOS platform, product cataloguing, inventory management, secure digital payments, logistics integration and multilingual support powered by BHASHINI.
The platform reduces dependence on intermediaries, allowing rural women entrepreneurs to directly access national markets and improve their incomes. It also supports the government’s target of creating 6 crore Lakhpati Didis by 2029.
Beyond agriculture
The initiative helps rural households diversify income beyond seasonal agriculture by promoting products across food processing, handicrafts, handloom, honey, dairy, herbal products, personal care and home décor.
SHGs are also encouraged to add value to agricultural produce by converting raw materials into packaged products such as pickles, papad, jams, candies, spices and bottled honey, enabling higher returns through better branding and processing.
Building digital capabilities
Alongside technology, DAY-NRLM provides extensive training to women entrepreneurs in digital onboarding, branding, packaging, product photography, digital marketing, financial literacy, inventory management and customer service.
These initiatives equip SHG members to independently manage online businesses and participate more effectively in India’s growing digital economy.
Technology-led inclusion
Built on India’s Digital Public Infrastructure, eSaras integrates with UMANG, ONDC, digital payment systems, logistics partners and API-based verification services. The platform also includes accessibility features such as text-to-speech support, adjustable text sizes and multilingual services to make digital commerce more inclusive.
Success story from Uttar Pradesh
Among the platform’s success stories is Falak Self-Help Group from Khurja, Uttar Pradesh, known for its GI-tagged Khurja pottery.
Earlier dependent on local markets and exhibitions, the group has been selling handcrafted pottery across India through eSaras for more than three years. Integrated logistics support has enabled safe delivery of fragile products while expanding its customer base nationwide.
Since the launch of its web portal in October 2022 and Android app in June 2023, eSaras has steadily expanded its digital ecosystem through ONDC integration, secure payment gateways, analytics and digital seller verification, helping rural producers move from seasonal exhibitions to year-round digital commerce.