Airports are altogether different spots and provide a worldly experience. Right from the Roads that connect the Airports to the Boarding Area, everything is an experience. There may be cases where we identify specific airports through their interiors. Passengers can relax, shop, dine or experience luxuries at the Airports.

We may even plan a trip to experience a specific airport or click selfies in a particular spot that we like the most in the airport. With Airports catering to domestic and international passengers, one can understand the immense potential of these hubs.

What if spaces in Airports are provided to Self Help Groups for growth and exposure? Yes, this is the concept of AVSAR – Allotment of Space to SHGs at AAI Airports.

Opening Outlets for SHGs at AAI-run airports:

SHGs will present the products produced by rural women and artisans for the world to admire and purchase. Such outlets shall financially empower the beneficiaries and open new markets for local products. For this, an area of 100-200 sq ft has been earmarked at each AAI-operated airport, which would be allotted to SHGs, turn-on-turn, for 15 days.

Now that the context of SHG is set, let’s get into the news.

Hubballi Airport’s First Self-Help Group Outlet Gets Inaugurated:

Hubballi Airport has joined forces to be part of the AVSAR program from 15th August 2022. The Airport has witnessed the inauguration of its first Self-Help Group outlet in the security hold area inside the airport terminal building. This stall is a part of the AVSAR scheme that promotes local craftsmen, skilled artists and indigenous art.

The first outlet is allocated to a ten-member SHG, which manufactures a wide range of goods, including kids’ clothing, sarees and sling bags.

This initiative of AAI empowers the local Artisan community and culture and carries the legacy of antique craftworks forward. We shall discuss in depth on this in a different story. Now, one can associate goodbye gifts or travel memories in airports with a moral cause.