Skilled hands, steady work.
Pratibha Silai Kadai Karigar Kalyan Samiti runs an all-women cluster at Mendki village, District Raisen, a few kilometres from the Sanchi Stupa and about 60 km from Bhopal.
The cluster
More than 400 women from Mendki and nearby villages are associated with the cluster, directly or indirectly. They are trained here in stitching, hand embroidery and Zari Zardozi and earn through production work for fashion and lifestyle brands.
The cluster is promoted by Pratibha Foundation and supported under the Ministry of MSME’s SFURTI scheme for traditional industries. An in-house designer trained at NIFT leads design, sampling and production.
400+
women associated with the cluster
160+
industrial sewing machines
300+
embroidery frames
NIFT
trained in-house designer
How the centre came to Mendki
The women of Mendki, in Sanchi tehsil of Raisen district, have long done zari and embroidery by hand in their homes. In 2019-20 Pratibha Foundation, a Bhopal NGO working since 2000, held a training camp here and promised a shared workplace, machines, raw material and a market.
On 15 January 2020 the cluster was approved under SFURTI, the Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries of the Ministry of MSME, Government of India, for 418 artisans. Pratibha Foundation is the Implementing Agency and the Foundation for MSME Clusters is the Nodal Agency.
Our Samiti, the artisans’ own body, was registered on 21 August 2020 to run the Common Facility Centre.
Pratibha Foundation, the organisation behind the cluster
A Bhopal-based non-profit working for better access to health, education and livelihood, and a better environment. It brought this cluster to Mendki and stands behind it every day.
Brought the project
As Implementing Agency under the Ministry of MSME’s SFURTI scheme, the Foundation brought the cluster and its common facility centre to Mendki.
Built the Samiti
It helped the artisans come together as their own society, Pratibha Silai Kadai Karigar Kalyan Samiti, which runs the Kendra.
Trains the women
It organises skill training and workshops on product development and entrepreneurship at the centre.
Opens the market
It connects the cluster with brands, designers, institutions and CSR partners, so that steady orders reach the women.
| Legal name | Pratibha Silai Kadai Karigar Kalyan Samiti |
| Registration | No. 01/01/01/36935/20, dated 21 August 2020, under the M.P. Society Registrikaran Adhiniyam, 1973 |
| GSTIN | 23AALAP3814D1ZU |
| Income Tax 12A registration | Granted on 7 April 2025 |
| Scheme | SFURTI, Ministry of MSME, Government of India |
| Registered office | 53-A, Ashoka Garden, Bhopal 462023 |
| Managing committee | [TO BE PROVIDED] |