Opportunities for new distribution models can be even greater in nontraditional markets. For example, Hindustan Unilever is
creating a new direct-to-home distribution system, run by underprivileged female entrepreneurs, in Indian villages of fewer than
2,000 people. Unilever provides microcredit and training and now has more than 45,000 entrepreneurs covering some 100,000
villages across 15 Indian states. Project Shakti , as this distribution system is called, benefits communities not only by giving
women skills that often double their household income but also by reducing the spread of communicable diseases through
increased access to hygiene products. This is a good example of how the unique ability of business to market to hard-to-reach
consumers can benefit society by getting life-altering products into the hands of people that need them. Project Shakti now
accounts for 5% of Unilever’s total revenues in India and has extended the company’s reach into rural areas and built its brand
in media-dark regions, creating major economic value for the company.