FLO Kanpur, led by Chairperson Ms. Kirti Shroff, under its Rural Entrepreneurship Vertical, organized the Swayam Shakti Pratiyogita 2025. The initiative was conducted in collaboration with the District Administration and under the aegis of the State Rural Livelihood Mission (SRLM), Government of Uttar Pradesh. The initiative aimed at identifying, mentoring, and supporting Self-Help Groups (SHGs) from both urban and rural Kanpur.
Spanning over 45 days, the program received over 350 SHG entries from across the district. 55 SHGs were shortlisted and invited to present their business plans and products to a jury on May 15, 2025. 26 SHGs advanced to a week-long mentorship program on May 23, 2025.
The top 10 SHGs were felicitated and will receive structured mentorship in areas like packaging, marketing, technical training, and business scaling. The top 3 SHGs received assurances of financial support to help them grow their enterprises. Past Chapter Chairperson Dr. Aarti Gupta pledged interest-free loans and long-term mentorship to the top SHG.
The final event was attended and appreciated by the District Magistrate (DM) and Chief Development Officer (CDO) of Kanpur. This initiative was the result of the cumulative efforts of Village Vertical Head Ms. Archana Khaitan, Project Mentor Dr. Shefali Raj, Event Chair Ms. Radhika Gupta, Event Co-Chair Ms. Niti Tandon, and Senior Vice Chairperson Ms. Ankita Garg.