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SMART Project conducts managerial skills workshop for women directors of FPCs across eight districts
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Friday, 13 March, 2026, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, Mumbai
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A district-level one-day managerial skills development workshop for women Board of Directors (BoDs) of Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) was organised simultaneously across eight districts of Maharashtra under the Balasaheb Thackeray Agribusiness and Rural Transformation (SMART) Project. The initiative, held around International Women’s Day recently aimed to strengthen leadership, governance and decision-making capabilities among women farmers involved in agribusiness.
The programme featured an online inaugural session followed by offline district-level training sessions. Women directors from different Farmer Producer Companies participated to enhance managerial, communication and leadership skills necessary for running successful agribusiness enterprises.
Additional project director of the SMART Project Uday Deshmukh emphasised that organisations with active participation of women in governance often perform better and remain more sustainable. He encouraged women directors to take a decisive role in shaping the future of Farmer Producer Organisations.
Agribusiness management expert and district superintendent agricultural officer Ujjwala Bankhele highlighted that 2026 has been declared the Year of Women Farmers. Remembering the contributions of Savitribai Phule, she urged women entrepreneurs to adopt digital marketing platforms to expand their market reach and improve incomes. She also stressed the importance of digital literacy, financial awareness and maintaining quality, quantity and continuity in supply chains.
Project director and Additional CEO of DRDA, ZP Pune Shalini Kadu spoke about resilience and determination in entrepreneurship, noting the emergence of nearly two lakh “Lakhpati Didis” as successful women entrepreneurs across the country.
Additional Commissioner (Development) at the Pune Divisional Commissioner’s Office Pranjal Shinde-Chobhe highlighted the importance of institutional convergence, citing initiatives such as Umed and Mavim that support women entrepreneurship and agribusiness development. She also stressed the need for value addition and processing to minimise losses from perishable agricultural produce.
Director of Shree Shivai Masale FPC Bharati More shared the journey of building a women-led enterprise with over 1,200 members and a spice processing capacity of 500 kg per hour. She said the venture has created sustainable income opportunities for marginal women farmers with support from the SMART project.
Training sessions focused on communication, leadership, coordination, team building and decision-making, equipping women directors with practical managerial skills to strengthen governance and promote inclusive agribusiness growth across Maharashtra.
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