How Hari Chandana is Empowering Rural Women with Marketing and Branding Skills

Hari Chandana is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Telangana cadre, who is currently the Food Safety Commissioner and Director of AYUSH Telangana. She is an alumna of the London School of Economics and the University of Hyderabad. She is known as a remote area development guru, who has created several models for rurban prosperity with her innovative and impactful initiatives. In this article, we will explore how Hari Chandana is empowering rural women with marketing and branding skills, along with product making skills, for sustainable growth.#HariChandana #SheInspiresUs #IAS #RuralDevelopment #RurbanProsperity

Hari Chandana’s journey began when she decided to leave her reputed job in London, where she worked with the World Bank and BP Shell, and return to India to become an IAS officer. She was inspired by her father, who was also an IAS officer, and wanted to serve the society and the nation. She cleared the UPSC exam in her second attempt, in the year 2010¹. She started her career as the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Vikarabad from 2012 to 2014, where she implemented several welfare schemes and development programs for the rural population, such as distributing bicycles to school children, providing nutrition to pregnant women and children, promoting home composting, creating SHG owned companies, etc. #UPSC #Vikarabad #WelfareSchemes #HomeComposting #SHG

She then became the Zonal Commissioner and Additional Commissioner of GHMC (Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation) from 2014 to 2020, where she led several mega infrastructure and green projects in Hyderabad, such as creating India’s first ever pet park for dogs, launching self-sustaining 200 “Loo-Cafes” based on a revenue model, promoting the usage of recycled plastic as footpaths, street furniture and art installations, installing “Feed the Need” community refrigerators, constructing the Durgam Cheruvu cable-stay bridge, reviving and rejuvenating several lakes, introducing mobile ‘She-Toilets’, executing green projects like Panchatantra Park, Mir Alam Park, Geriatric Park Miyapur, and Dog Park, enabling ISO 14001:2015 certified green government buildings, and using drones to spray for mosquito eradication and de-weed water bodies. #GHMC #Hyderabad #GreenProjects #Recycling #Infrastructure #LooCafes #PetPark

She then became the Collector and District Magistrate of Narayanpet from 2020 to 2022, where she initiated several innovative and impactful initiatives to improve the lives of the people and the environment in the district, such as initiating ‘T-Consult’, a free telemedical service connecting rural areas with specialist doctors, starting “Aarunya”, a first-of-its-kind district marketing company providing an e-platform to rural SHG women to reach out to metro markets, generating surplus income to the SHG women and weavers during the lockdown by dovetailing the local resources to global demand, monitoring district administration through “Palle Pragathi” (village progress tracker) app, bridging the digital divide for rural children by providing coding, app development and digital learning skills to government school kids, and restoring heritage step wells in the district. #Narayanpet #TConsult #Aarunya #PallePragathi #EarlyCoders #HeritageStepWells

One of the most remarkable achievements of Hari Chandana is her creation of “Aarunya”, a district marketing company that empowers rural women with marketing and branding skills, along with product making skills, for sustainable growth. “Aarunya” is a Sanskrit word that means “the first rays of the sun”. The company aims to provide a platform for the rural women to showcase their products and skills to the urban markets, and also to provide them with training, mentoring, quality control, packaging, branding, and marketing support. The company also helps the women to access credit, insurance, and other financial services. The company operates on a revenue-sharing model, where the women get 80% of the profits and the company gets 20%. The company also ensures that the products are eco-friendly, organic, and locally sourced. #Aarunya #RuralWomen #Marketing #Branding #ProductMaking #SustainableGrowth

Some of the products that “Aarunya” offers are:

Handloom sarees, dress materials, and accessories made by the weavers of Narayanpet, who are famous for their unique designs and colours.

Handicrafts, paintings, and home decor items made by the artisans of Narayanpet, who use natural materials like clay, wood, bamboo, and jute.

Organic food products, such as millets, pulses, spices, oils, pickles, jams, and honey, made by the farmers and self-help groups of Narayanpet, who practice natural farming and avoid chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

Herbal and ayurvedic products, such as soap, shampoo, lotion, balm, and powder, made by the women and self-help groups of Narayanpet, who use locally available herbs and plants. #Handloom #Handicrafts #Organic #Herbal #Ayurvedic

“Aarunya” has been a successful and impactful initiative that has transformed the lives of thousands of rural women in Narayanpet. The women have gained confidence, self-reliance, income, and recognition for their products and skills. They have also become aware of the importance of quality, hygiene, packaging, and branding for their products. They have also learned how to use digital platforms, such as websites, social media, and e-commerce, to reach out to a wider audience and increase their sales. The company has also created a positive social and environmental impact, by promoting rural employment, women empowerment, organic farming, and eco-friendly products. #Success #Impact #Confidence #Recognition #Digital #Social #Environmental

Hari Chandana has also received many awards and recognitions for her outstanding work and contribution to the society and the environment. Some of them are:

British Council Alumni Award for Social Impact in 2021, recognizing her contribution to sustainable development through localized governance solutions.

Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration in 2020, along with 12 other public officials from the country, for her exemplary work in Narayanpet.

Science and Sustainability Award in 2021, a testament to her extraordinary work in promoting environmental protection and sustainable development.

FICCI, Women in Public Service Award in 2021, for her exemplary leadership and service in the public sector.

BritishCouncilAlumniAward #PMsAward #ScienceAndSustainabilityAward #FICCIWomenAward

Hari Chandana is a role model and an inspiration for many people, especially women and young aspirants, who want to make a difference in the world. She has shown that with passion, dedication, and innovation, one can achieve great heights and empower rural women with marketing and branding skills, along with product making skills, for sustainable growth. #RoleModel #Inspiration #Empowerment #Marketing #Branding #ProductMaking #SustainableGrowth