AVSAR Scheme:  Airport Authority of India (AAI) recently launched the AVSAR scheme to encourage the talent of women, artisans, and craftsmen and provide them with the right opportunities.

Note: AVSAR stands for 'Airport as Venue for Skilled Artisans of the Region'

Key Points:

• Under AVSAR scheme, the impoverished will be given the opportunity to earn so that they can mobilize their households for self-dependence and self-reliance.
• Under this initiative AAI will allocate space to Self Help Groups (SHGs) at its airports for selling/showcasing the self-made products of their region.
• An area of 100-200 square feet has been earmarked for the SHGs at each AAI-operated airport.
• This area will be provided to the SHGs on a turn-by-turn basis for a period of 15 days.

Objective:

• The objective of this initiative is to strengthen the SHGs by providing them with visibility and preparing them to market and promote their products to a broader audience by reaching out to a larger demographic both within and outside of the country.

Commissioned Outlets:

• A few outlets have been set up at AAI-operated airports in Chennai, Kushinagar, Dehradun, Agartala, Amritsar, and Udaipur, where local women-run SHGs are marketing and showcasing their homemade products.

The products like Packaged Papad, Puffed Rice, Pickles, Lamp Sets, Bottle, traditional craft, local artifacts, Bamboo-based Ladies Bag, embroidery, natural dyes, and indigenous weaves with contemporary design are being showcased and marketed to the travellers.