National SARAS Mela 2026 begins in Vijayawada on October 13

National SARAS Mela 2026 is happening at Punnami Ghat in Vijayawada from October 13 to 31. This 19-day exposition gathers over 1,500 Self-Help Group (SHG) women entrepreneurs from 30+ States and Union Territories across 600-plus stalls.

Inauguration details

President of India Droupadi Murmu will kick off the event as Chief Guest on October 15 at 11.30 am. High-level leaders will attend, including Governor S Abdul Nazeer, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Union Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and Deputy Chief Minister Konidala Pawan Kalyan.

Scheme alignment

The Mela matches with Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) and Prime Minister's goal to create 6 crore Lakhpati Didis by 2029. It combines physical markets with eSARAS digital platform and SARAS Aajeevika Gallery to improve market access for rural artisans.