“The sales were very low,” said Mangala Devi Chakma, as she neatly folded each item before placing it into a large, brown carton, packing up her stall on the final day of Grameen Bharat Mahotsav 2025. Chakma, like many other exhibitors, blamed “limited outreach” for the low footfall.
Grameen Bharat Mahotsav 2025, an initiative of the Department of Financial Services (DFS) and National Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), was organised in Hall No. 14 of Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The six-day event, from January 4 to 9, was aimed at strengthening rural growth, and featured a wide array of exhibitions from rural and tribal artisans from across the country.
The event, with the theme ‘Building a Resilient Rural India for a Viksit Bharat 2047’, provided a platform for farmers and artisans, youth skill development, women’s empowerment and financial inclusion for marginalised communities. The fest also featured many panel discussions, workshops and cultural shows, including a Kuchipudi performance by Ayana Mukherjee and group, and a Kashmiri folk music show presented by Noor Mohammad Shah, among others.
Tarkashi (also known as Mainpuri Tarkashi), an artform hailing from the Mainpuri district of Uttar Pradesh, uses ‘tar’ or wire to draw detailed patterns on wood—typically, on rosewood or pinewood. Mainpuri Tarkashi was conferred the GI (Geographical Indication) tag in 2023.
Nemi Chandra Shakya is a third-generation crafter of the art. “The government has helped us revive this craft,” he said, pleased with the NABARD’s initiatives.
While many artisans found the event notably beneficial, for others, the show ended on a tepid note as the turnout was low. “I would have preferred the event be hosted in a place that draws better public attention,” said Manta Sharma, member of a Haryana-based self-help group.
A few craftsmen mentioned that NABARD will reimburse their travel expenses while also offering the exhibition space free of cost.
On the successful conclusion of Grameen Bharat Mahotsav, M. Nagaraju, secretary to the Department of Financial Services (DFS), stated, “With over 53 crore Jan Dhan accounts, primarily held by women and rural communities and 14.4 million self-help groups (SHGs), fostering financial inclusion, the event played a critical role in grassroots innovation, and entrepreneurship”
To maximise the outcome, he said, the focus is on the creation of export linkages for SHGs. “By supporting MSMEs that employ over 50 million people and ensuring loans of up to Rs. 100 crore for key sectors, we aim to catalyse rural economic growth”.
To boost rural development, NABARD seeks to establish an innovation laboratory to oversee and implement new projects. The organisation is also aiming to develop a comprehensive portal to house all relevant information regarding various schemes available to rural endeavours, and incorporate all banking institutions in the creation of value chains for rural products.