Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 10 Feb: In a major boost to rural enterprise development in Uttarakhand, the Multistakeholder Platform (MSP) organised under the Rural Enterprise Acceleration Project (REAP)- Gramotthan concluded today with the signing of over 60 Letters of Intent (LoIs) between the private sector partners and the community-based institutions, district teams and Uttarakhand Gramya Vikas Samiti. These partnerships mark a significant step towards enabling rural producers to access structured markets, improve value addition and build sustainable livelihood opportunities across the state.
The two-day MSP brought together 30 private sector companies and 26 community-based organisations representing 13 districts, creating an enabling platform for buyer-seller engagement, product showcasing and business discussions. The event witnessed active interaction between private companies and rural enterprises, focusing on product quality, packaging, branding, supply readiness, value chain development and scalability.
Present was Cabinet Minister Ganesh Joshi, who appreciated the efforts of all stakeholders in strengthening rural enterprises through collaborative partnerships. Addressing the gathering, he said, “Today, our women are becoming self-reliant. With 18 private sector partners signing over 60 LoIs, it clearly reflects that the products made by our sisters are of high-quality and are witnessing a strong demand in the market.”
Jharna Kamthan, Project Director-REAP and Additional Secretary, Rural Development, Uttarakhand, Bhupendra Prasad Kandpal, Director-Finance, Naresh Kumar, Deputy Commissioner (Project) and Mahendra Singh Yadav, Deputy Director-UGVS REAP, were also present during the event,
Over the course of the two days, private players, community-level representatives and the district teams actively coordinated and worked together, ensuring direct business discussions, knowledge sharing and meaningful networking. Both the private sector companies and rural enterprises showcased their presentations, highlighting their business models, product ranges, production capacities and collaboration requirements. The district project managers also presented their district profiles, showcasing the strengths, unique products and enterprise potential of their respective districts.
This event served as a collaborative space for knowledge sharing and partnership building. The discussions highlighted the importance of standardization, market-driven production, and value chain strengthening to make rural products competitive and sustainable. The MSP concluded with a reaffirmation of commitment by all stakeholders towards strengthening rural livelihoods through structured market linkages, private sector collaboration and long-term enterprise development.
