Over 150 women’s self-help groups (SHGs) and micro-entrepreneurs got an opportunity to explore the potential of digitally marketing their goods at a five-day orientation workshop on the enhanced version of ThirumathiKart, the mobile e-commerce application developed by National Institute of Technology–Tiruchii (NIT-T) that was inaugurated on Monday.
ThirumathiKart is part of a project sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology (DST). Its updated version includes additional features for selling food and snack items, perishables, agricultural and dairy products.
Speaking at the inauguration of the workshop on Monday, K. Ramesh Kumar, project director, Magalir Thittam, Tiruchi, said the digital literacy push would help women improve their business and marketing strategies, enabling participants to thrive in today’s competitive market.
Over the next few days, the workshop would brief participants on wholesale raw material purchasing, Goods and Services Tax (GST), food safety certification, and the intricacies of the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) registration process.
A sale-cum-exhibition area was launched on the side lines of the workshop, with SHG entrepreneurs selling herbal cosmetics, snacks, saris, dress material and other products.
The app’s enhanced versions include Thirumathikart seller, Thirumathikart buyer, and Thirumathikart logistics solely for promoting the products developed by SHGs. Groups registered under the Tiruchi Magalir Thittam office and women entrepreneurs are eligible to enrol for the workshop, which is scheduled to end on January 12, with a second one planned for February.
N. Sivakumaran, professor, Department of Instrumentation and Control Engineering, and M. Brindha, Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science Engineering, are the coordinators of the programme.
