New Delhi, Feb 17 (IANS): The Rural Development Ministry has partnered with e-commerce platform Meesho on Thursday for marketing of products made by the Self Help Groups (SHGs).

Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Giriraj Singh, on Thursday asserted that the target of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to have 10 crore SHG members by 2024 will be achieved as the Ministry is working on a pro-active mode to enroll new women Sakhis (members).

The Minister said this while speaking after the signing of an MoU by the Ministry with "Meesho" -- an e-commerce platform owned by Bengaluru-based Fashnear Technologies Private Limited, for marketing of products made by the Self Help Groups under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana -- National Rural Livelihood Mission.

Giriraj Singh said, in May 2014, when PM Modi took charge, there were 2.35 crore SHG members, but with a focused approach to empower rural poor women in the last 9 years, the number of SHG members has swelled to more than 9 crore and will touch 10 crore members by 2024.

He said, each women beneficiary must save at least Rs 1 lakh rupees per annum through the sale of local products, which is the vision of the Prime Minister.

He also expressed confidence that within a few years he will be able to achieve the target of 10 lakh 'Lakhpati Didis' and added that the day is not far away when some of the 'Lakhpati Didis' will become 'Crorepati Didis'.

The Rural Development Minister has said that the NRLM has been undertaking several efforts to support businesses run by rural SHG women that are engaged in producing food products, handicrafts and hand-loom, etc.

As part of the efforts to connect producers to markets, NRLM and SRLMs have taken steps to promote curated products from SHGs and SHG member entrepreneurs through multiple channels such as Saras Gallery, state specific retail outlets, e-commerce platforms like GeM, Flipkart, Amazon.