In 2001 Hindustan Unilever launched Project Shakti. It trains rural women, called Shakti ammas, in business and financial skills to help them start their own micro-enterprises. They become rural retailers of the company’s products. According to the company, more than 200,000 women are active in the program across 22 states.
Hindustan Unilever describes them as giving their communities “a trusted physical retail presence.”