Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Har Ghar Tiranga ‘initiative, launched in 2022 as part of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav,’ has not only fostered national unity and patriotism but also catalysed the emergence of a new women-led industry across India. The campaign, which encourages citizens to display the national flag at their homes, workplaces, and institutions, has evolved into a significant movement with far-reaching socio-economic impacts.
Govind Mohan, Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, which oversees the Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan, highlighted the initiative’s transformative effect on employment and industry and said that this initiative by PM Modi had led to the creation of job employment opportunities for women in the country.
“While it evolved into a large people’s movement, it also created new employment opportunities for thousands of women across the country. This initiative gave birth to an entirely new industry driven by women at the grassroots level, reducing reliance on large vendors. Today, Self-Help Groups (SHGs) have become the primary producers of the national flags,” Mohan said.
Initially, meeting the overwhelming demand for flags posed a significant challenge, officials recalled. In the first year of the campaign, the central government procured and distributed approximately 7.5 crore flags to states, both directly and through post offices, to address the shortfall. To further support this endeavor, Prime Minister Modi spearheaded a revision of the Flag Code of India, which facilitated the involvement of various stakeholders in flag production, including women’s SHGs.
By the second year of the campaign, the dependency on central government-supplied flags dramatically reduced. “The demand for central government-supplied national flags significantly dropped to around 2.5 crore in the second year, as women’s SHGs increasingly took over flag production. A notable example is Uttar Pradesh, which purchased 4.5 crore flags from the government in 2022 but did not buy any in 2023, thanks to the self-sufficiency of its SHGs in flag production,” reveals Govind Mohan.
The Indian tricolour, a symbol of the nation’s rich history and diverse culture, has its roots in the freedom struggle. Designed by Pingali Venkayya in 1921, the flag evolved through various iterations before its final adoption in 1947. The saffron, white, and green stripes represent courage, purity, and faith respectively, while the Ashoka Chakra symbolizes the ‘Wheel of Law’ and continuous progress. The trend continued into 2024, with the demand for central government-supplied flags falling further to just 20 lakhs. SHGs have become the primary producers of flags, showcasing a remarkable shift from large vendors to grassroots enterprises. “Across India, approximately 25 crore flags are needed annually, one for every home. This shift from large vendors to SHGs has transformed these groups into a thriving industry,” Mohan notes.
The Har Ghar Tiranga campaign is now seen as a testament to how a national initiative can simultaneously promote civic engagement and create substantial economic opportunities. By empowering Self-Help Groups (SHGs), the campaign has ensured broad public participation and fostered significant economic benefits for women across the country. It serves as a powerful example of how strategic government campaigns can drive positive socio-economic change, benefiting communities and creating new industries in the process.