50 Women from Maharashtra Just Walked Into Singapore
By Shweta Sonali — 2026-10-23
Fifty women entrepreneurs from Maharashtra are in Singapore right now, selling at Namaste Bharat 2026. Not attending. Selling.
This matters because they didn't just show up with stock. They came through ZHEP Udyogininchi, a platform based in Maharashtra that's been building trade networks for women-run businesses. The delegation is led by Pournnima Shirishkar, who runs the organisation. They spent a year preparing for this exhibition alone.
The products on display are straightforward: handicrafts, traditional food, textiles, jewellery, millet products. The signal isn't about the categories. It's that 750,000 women are connected to ZHEP, and this batch represents the first delegation from that pool going international. That's a different kind of scale.
Shirishkar was direct about the goal: "We are looking for opportunities in Singapore, especially connecting with retailers and wholesalers." Not investors. Not grants. Actual buyers who move volume.
Singapore's appeal is practical. Indian High Commissioner Shilpak Ambule said at the opening that "Singapore is a high-value market." He also noted something sharper—the island's purchasing power isn't just wealth, it's distribution infrastructure. Singapore businesses have networks across Asia. One wholesale partnership there could open doors across multiple countries at once.
The exhibition runs October 22-25 with 150 exhibitors across the board. Ambule made a second point that stuck: "Singapore is looking at promoting trade networks with different states of India, not only Delhi, Mumbai and metros, but different parts of India to build business ties." Which means this isn't ceremonial. The Indian government side is actively trying to move production beyond the capital cities.
None of this is easy. De Ideaz founder Purnima Kamath, who organised the show, made clear: "These are not traders. These are actual authentic manufacturers who produce handcrafted goods." You can't just copy what works for one region. Each piece moves differently, carries different costs, has different buyers.
What's interesting is the subsidy structure. Some of these trips are funded by Maharashtra state alone. Some by both state and central governments. Which means someone's betting that these connections, once made, will stay made. That's a longer view than most trade shows take.
After Singapore, the same ZHEP delegation is booked for Milan from December 5-12. Two continents, four months apart. That's not a test run anymore.
Read the original report for more details on the Namaste Bharat exhibition.