Rural poverty needs to be addressed not only by redistribution of wealth but also by increasing the productive capacity of the poor and enabling them to participate in the development process. Based on the concept of group entrepreneurship, it has been observed that the recipe for poverty alleviation is ``micro-enterprises organized by self-help groups supported by micro-credit''. In fact Mahatma Gandhi has taught us that the most important duty of independent India is to enable every woman and man to earn her or his daily bread, through technologies based on the principle of production by masses. It becomes very important to support such activities in these days of free trade and globalization where outputs from mass production are pitted against the products from masses i.e. micro-enterprises.

Based on several studies and observations, it has been noticed that higher success in rural entrepreneurship activities can be achieved with the help of a good training program for rural poor and also by providing them help with marketing their products. While individual entrepreneuship efforts are guided by profits and depend on individual competence, group entrepreneurship efforts depend on the support of link organizations for research, advertising, marketing etc. Enterprise Rural Marketing Unit (ERMU) is one such effort started by Bhagavathula Charitable Trust (BCT) to help rural women from the villages in Vishakhapatnam district to start rural enterprises in making several handmade products.

Objective of the project

The first objective of this project is to research into new products, standardize them and test run them so that these products can be taken up for manufacture in micro enterprises by other women. The second objective of the project is to start a continuous production of the products based on the success of the test run, to purchase the finished products from the rural women and market them. While these products are being purchased quality would be tested. Finally, to avoid unhealthy internal competition a market survey would constantly channel micro entrepreneurial efforts into new markets or product lines.

The project

The project is to starting a research and marketing unit for assisting income generating activities for the rural SHGs (Self Help Groups). This unit would be involved in the following activities:

a. standardize ideas for enterprises.
b. train rural women to impart the required skill
c. test these new ideas by conducting a pilot run with a few women.
d. develop detailed project reports based on the pilot run
e. Liaison with the bank for a loan
e. initialize the project
f. purchase all the products from these entrepreneurs
g. market these products

For all these above activities, a set of qualified professionals would be hired in case the resource person is not within the organisation.

Current Status

After almost an year into its operations, women at ERMU are involved in the making the following products:

• Papad
• Coir
• Screen Printing
• Pickles
• Murukku
• Chikki
• Handpounded Rice
• Vermicompost (Demonstration Unit)

The following marketing ideas are being explored:

Work with Postal and Telegraph department to hold an exhibition in GPO Bangalore to exhibit crafts from North Coastal Andhra Pradesh. If people are interested in purchasing the products, they would place the order through the Post Office. The order would then be executed by ERMU and delivered by postal department.