Direct Sales: A Source of Empowerment for Youth and Women
Today, a sustainable approach to development has emerged as the new paradigm in the world, stressing the balance between the needs of the present with the future generation’s ability to sustain their livelihoods. The importance of sustainable growth is increasingly recognized across the sectors, organizations, and individuals. The Indian Government too can be seen aligning with this approach in recent initiatives like the Skill India Mission, Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, and Mudra Yojana to empower a brighter, more balanced, resilient, and prosperous future for its people by providing sources of employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.
Direct Selling: Channelising Empowerment
Direct selling has emerged as a powerful tool for empowering youth and women, supporting sustainable economic growth. A report has recently indicated the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2019–20 and 2022–23 for this industry at 8.3%. Growth year-on-year has been significant in 2022–23 at 12%. The direct-selling industry offers an avenue for tremendous personal and financial growth, with benefits also including enterprise opportunity, flexibility in working hours, and various inclusive aspects.
The popularity of direct selling is within its availability, wherein low start-up costs make it accessible to people who have little in terms of monetary resources. Moreover, the work model is flexible and allows people to engage either part-time or full-time according to their personal situations and aspirations. For women, usually with multiple roles, such a model provides an empowering opportunity that allows for economic independence while attending to personal responsibilities.
Empowering Youth and Women for Sustainable Development
The direct-selling industry of India contributes positively to the reduction of unemployment and creation of economic self-reliance. Among the big youth population facing unemployment, direct selling provides an opportunity for them to:
- Earn regular income.
- Develop entrepreneurial skills
- Obtain valuable business experience.
For women, especially in a developing economy like India, direct selling is a mode through which they have opportunities to cross barriers related to education, money, and employment. This kind of business helps empower women so that they can be economically independent themselves. They get themselves financially independent and build self-confidence.
Sustainability in Direct Selling
With the boom of conscious consumerism, companies from the direct-selling arena have started to involve sustainability in their operations. This includes:
- Using environment-friendly packaging and sourcing.
- Ethical practices such as fair renumeration and transparency.
- Consumer protection measures to gain confidence
The Indian direct – selling companies have gradually started to make room for only eco-friendly and sustainable products for the benefit of the conscious users. These companies assuredly promote trust and loyalty while sustaining a sustainable economic ecosystem by maintaining the highest honed sense of honesty and fairness
Challenges and the Path Ahead
While the direct selling industry has several benefits, it has a drawback or two such as:
- Market saturation: Increased competitive levels within the industry.
- Immoral practices: Misleading the marketing and low quality of products may lead to loss of trust.
Sustaining Growth: The industry must address through:
- Clear regulations Protecting consumers and sellers
- Training programs Developing in the art of selling and ethics, in addition to money handling skills.
- Ethical standards: Fair pricing, no deceptive or misleading advertising.
Innovation is also critical. Companies must innovate and adapt to the changing tide of market requirements through technology integration, new product categories, and global market expansion.
Resilience and Global Presence
It showed notable resilience and growth, overcoming challenges such as the pandemic and e-commerce competition in the Indian direct-selling industry. Success here represents the adaptability of this business model and its commitment to empowering individuals. By embracing sustainable practices, the sector is overcoming market challenges, paving the way for long-term economic growth, transforming lives, and creating an inclusive future.
This article is authored by Sanjay Singh Rajput, HR and Crown Ambassador, Naswiz.
