As a part of Integrated Village Development Project, Rudraprayag, an SHG Orientation Program focusing on women-led enterprise development and sustainable livelihoods was conducted on 16 December 2025 at Giwani Gaw, Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand. The program was facilitated by Development Alternatives (DA) with the support of ReNew Power, aiming to strengthen entrepreneurial awareness among rural women and link livelihoods with local market opportunities.

The program witnessed the participation of around 120 women members of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) from Falai and Bashti villages. The Rural Self Employment Training Institute (RSETI) team actively contributed as a key knowledge partner. Representatives from ReNew, including a biodiversity expert, also led thematic sessions during the programme.

During the orientation, the RSETI team introduced participants to more than 70 types of micro-enterprise training programs, covering diverse sectors such as food processing, services, manufacturing, and allied activities. The session included successful case studies of SHG women from Rudraprayag district who had established their own enterprises with support from the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) and capacity-building inputs from RSETI. A model enterprise framework was presented, demonstrating how trained SHG women are collectively managing enterprises and generating sustainable livelihoods.

Initial interactions revealed that women’s enterprise aspirations were largely confined to conventional activities such as dairy, pickle-making, stitching, and knitting. Following the orientation, participants displayed increased interest in collective, need-based enterprises, particularly those aligned with the tourism-driven economy of Rudraprayag. Discussions highlighted that enterprises designed around local demand and regional specificity have higher market potential, especially during the Kedarnath Yatra season, when tourism peaks and demand for tourism- and puja-related products rises significantly.

The program also included a session on biodiversity conservation, emphasising the ecological importance of the region and the need to integrate conservation principles into livelihood planning. The biodiversity expert from ReNew highlighted that sustainable enterprises must balance income generation with environmental responsibility.

Overall, the orientation program succeeded in expanding the entrepreneurial vision of SHG women, strengthening their understanding of market-linked livelihoods, and reinforcing the importance of sustainability in enterprise development.