National Sars Mela 2026 Launch in Vijayawada: Scale, Date & App

The National Sars Mela 2026 is a rural development exhibition held outside the Delhi-NCR region for the first time. President Smt. Draupadi Murmu will inaugurate the event on 15 October 2026 at Punnami Ghat, Vijayawada, on the banks of the Krishna River. The Mela brings together 34 States and Union Territories, showcasing rural enterprise and self-help group achievements. Approximately 1,000 Lakhpati Didis and over 650 stalls will participate, reflecting the event's scale.

• ✓First edition outside Delhi-NCR, hosted in Vijayawada.
• ✓34 States and UTs represented.
• ✓Over 650 exhibition stalls and 1,000 Lakhpati Didis attending.

Two initiatives will be formally launched during the Mela in the presence of the President and the Rural Development Minister. The Saras Shakti application aims to provide a unified platform for self-help group members to access resources, market linkages, and training modules. The Lakhpati Didi Compendium will document success stories and best practices of women who have crossed the income threshold of one lakh rupees annually. Both launches underscore the government's focus on digitizing and scaling rural entrepreneurship.

• ✓Saras Shakti app launched by President and Rural Development Minister.
• ✓Lakhpati Didi Compendium documents income-verified success stories.
• ✓Both initiatives launched simultaneously during inaugural ceremony.

The Mela features an India Food Court where over 200 women chefs from 28 states will prepare traditional dishes live. Thematic pavilions include the Lakhpati Didi Pavilion, Knowledge Pavilion, Convergence Pavilion, and Live Demonstration Pavilion.

• ✓Over 200 women chefs cooking regional dishes live.
• ✓Four thematic pavilions covering livelihoods, knowledge, convergence, and demonstrations.
• ✓Food court highlights national culinary diversity from self-help group members.

A special film screening at the Mela will highlight the national resolve to create 6 crore (60 million) Lakhpati Didis across the country. The target represents a significant expansion of the self-help group movement and aims to bring more women into the formal income bracket. The compendium launch and film screening together serve as a motivational platform for ongoing and prospective self-help group members.

• ✓National target of 60 million Lakhpati Didis.
• ✓Special film showcases the scale of the ambition.
• ✓Compendium and film are part of the same inaugural session.

The inauguration ceremony will see the presence of Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, and the Governor of Andhra Pradesh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision and guidance enabled the decentralization of the Mela to Vijayawada. The attendance of these leaders reflects the central and state-level commitment to the event's success and to the broader mission of rural development.

• ✓Union Minister, AP Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and Governor attending.
• ✓Prime Minister's vision enabled the event's relocation outside Delhi.
• ✓Inaugural ceremony is a multi-level political show of support.