Project Shakti is an initiative by HUL to financially empower rural women through micro-enterprise opportunities. It provides training to women to become village-level entrepreneurs ("Shakti Amma") selling HUL products in their communities. Over 45,000 women have been trained, covering over 100,000 villages. The project aims to improve rural livelihoods and living standards while expanding HUL's distribution network in rural India.

1. PROJECT SHAKTI
Presented by: -
Abhishek Raj
MBA (AGRI-BUSINESS), SHUATS
Dr. Nitin Barker
(Asst. Professor, SHUATS)
Presented To: -

2. INTRODUCTION
 HUL is the world’s largest FMCG company
 Providing products in around 190 countries.
 Indian subsidiary, the HUL is country’s largest FMCG company.
 Largely successful in Urban region.
Introduction to Project Shakti
 Launched in the year 2001
 Targets small villages
Objectives
• To create earning opportunities for underprivileged women.
• To provide a micro enterprise opportunity.
• To improve rural living standard.
Partnership with non-competitive companies.
 Covered 1,00,000+ villages by appointing 45,000 ammas
 Aim is to have 100,000 ammas covering 500,000 villages

3. PROJECT SHAKTI
Project Shakti is an initiative to financially empower rural women and
create livelihood opportunities for them. Through this project, the
Company endeavors to enhance livelihoods of rural women.

4. How it works
She receives stocks from HUL’s rural distributor.
After being trained by the company with basic business skill SE’s then sells those goods dir
ectly to consumers.
However, from 2010 onwards, “SHAKTI MAANS” the husband or brother of Shakti Amma
s were included in the project, who acts as compliments for the Shakti Ammas.
Rural women from poor economic background is selected as “Shakti entrepreneur” - SHAKTI
AMMA who need to make an initial investment of Rs. 20,000 for purchase of stocks.

5. PRICING AND PACKAGING
• Rural consumers are price sensitive.
• Sachets and small packs of premium products.
• Price doesn’t exceed Rs.5 per sachet.
• Some of the products sold through Project Shakti are as follows:

6. OBJECTIVES
Helps to organise livelihood opportunities
Tries to improve the quality of life in rural India
Goes through the consumption habits of the rural India
Improve the Business skills of women
Organising workshops to increase the awareness

7. SWOT Analysis
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STRENGTHS
Local Knowledge of markets
through SELF HELP GROUPS
Technology necessary to
operationalize
Direct to home marketing
Low transportation cost
Helps in providing micro credits
WEAKNESSES
Women of SHGs are Illiterate
Training takes time
Social Barriers
No specific target given to the
distribution
Margin profit is low
Market Expansion
Less Competition
Consumer goods use price awareness
Growing Income levels
Villages are closely connected
OPPORTUNITIES
Customs and Traditions
Defaulting Rates
Changes in Government Schemes
Environment and Geographical
Uncertanities
THREATS

8. DISTRIBUTION

9. HUL’S APPROACH TO RURAL
DISTRIBUTION

10. DIRECT COVERAGE, INDIRECT COVERAGE,
STREAMLINE.

11. Future Plan Of
Shakti Project
 Project Shakti Plan
 Small Cities
 Shakti Sustainable Giving
plans

12. Issues
Low Margins
Transportation
Illiteracy
Change In Govt Schemes

13. Profile of Indian Rural Economy
× In India, women constitute only 18.6 per cent of the population
working or looking for work.
× The woman Entrepreneurs are called Shakti Ammas.
× Rural Sales Promoters (RSPs) coach these Shakti entrepreneurs
by familiarizing them with the product range in order to manage
their businesses better.

14. Need For Such Programs
 Shakti is the Sanskrit word for “power” or
“empowerment”.
 In Hindu tradition Shakti is the personification of
divine, feminine, creative power.
 If we can Empower the women's of the rural area
we can not only give them financial independency
but also helps our country to boost its economy.

15. Why Shakti?!
 To empower women in rural India by creating livelihood opportunities.
 To earn sustainable income.
 Employment generation.
 Economic Impact.
 Social Impact

16. 16
BENEFITS
 Benefits to rural women
 The Shakti entrepreneur or shakti Ammas become financially
independent.
 The women learn various aspects of running a retail business, from
inventory to distribution management. They are also introduced to
HUL products, which they sell.
 Benefits to the company
 It helps in advancing HUL distributions and expands the reach of
companies brand.
 To push growth rates in several brands across categories like Lux,
Lifebuoy, Etc.

17. PROMOTIONAL STRATEGY
Promotion through demonstration of HUL products
at Haat Bazaar and Local Mandis.

18. PROGRAMMES UNDERTAKEN
× SHAKTI VANI
× SHAKTI ENTREPRENEUR
× iSHAKTI COMMUNITY PORTAL

19. SHAKTI VANI
• Social communication anchored on brands
 health and hygiene
 women’s empowerment
•Village women are recruited as Vanis and trained to
communicate
• Vani audience: key opinion leaders, schools, SHG
meetings, other village gatherings
• Specially designed communication material – easy-to-carry
kit: flip-charts, leave-behind posters, banners – content
developed after in-depth understanding of local context

20. HAND WASH DEMO BY SHAKTI
VANIS

21. FREE HEALTH
CAMPS IN SHAKTI
VILLAGE

22. SHAKTI ENTREPRENEUR

23. I-SHAKTI
 In 2003,HUL piloted I-Shakti.
 It is an IT-based rural information service that creates access
to relevant information through the ishakti community portal.
 It was launched for the 1st time in Nalgonda district of Andhra
Pradesh in about 50 villages in year 2000 and now it has been
extended to about 15 states in India.
 This ishakti programme provides information & services to
meet rural needs in medical health, hygiene, agriculture,
vocational training, etc.

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Participated States
Andhra Pradesh
Karnataka
Gujarat
Chhattisgarh
Maharashtra
Orissa
Punjab
Rajasthan
Tamilnadu
Uttar Pradesh
West Bengal
Bihar
Haryana
Jharkhand

25.  Project Shakti is enabling families to live with dignity and in better
health & hygiene, education of the children and an overall
betterment in living standards.
×
 It creates a win-win partnership between HUL and the rural
consumers for mutual benefit and growth.
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CONCLUSION

26. Thank You!
Any questions?
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