Amaravati, Oct 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Andhra Pradesh government has set a target of creating 5 lakh women entrepreneurs.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Monday directed officials to make concerted efforts towards the economic empowerment of Self-Help Group (SHG) members.
He asked officials of the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) and the Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA) to extend full support to the initiative and seek assistance from corporate organisations.
The Chief Minister said women interested in self-employment should also be encouraged to take up franchise-based business opportunities.
Naidu reviewed programmes aimed at developing 5 lakh women entrepreneurs and the ‘Swayam AP’ initiative with SERP and MEPMA officials at the camp office.
He observed that no other state in the country has an SHG network as extensive as that of Andhra Pradesh.
The Chief Minister said products manufactured by DWCRA women should reach global markets.
He directed officials to develop ‘Swayam AP’ by bringing together thousands of products made by DWCRA women under a common brand, supported by standardised quality, modern packaging, e-commerce platforms, signature stores and an integrated marketing system.
Naidu also directed officials to make the National Saras Mela 2026, being organised for the first time in Vijayawada from October 15 to 31, a major showcase of women’s empowerment.
Women entrepreneurs and women Members of Parliament from across the country should be invited to participate in the event, he said.
Officials informed the Chief Minister that SHGs from across the country would set up 600 stalls at the Saras Mela and that around one lakh visitors per day are expected.
They also informed him that President Droupadi Murmu would formally inaugurate the event.
Officials said sales of ‘Swayam AP’ products through signature stores and the Flipkart platform would commence from October 15.
They also briefed the Chief Minister on programmes already initiated to achieve the target of creating 5 lakh women entrepreneurs, including market linkages, financial assistance, training and quality standards.
Officials said a comprehensive plan had been formulated around five key areas: building a strong support system for women from the village level to global markets; identifying opportunities and converting them into viable businesses; providing financial support through loans amounting to Rs 68,585 crore; capacity-building and business-management training in partnership with leading institutions; and developing an integrated entrepreneurship plan with the participation of more than 60 organisations.
They informed the Chief Minister that successful women entrepreneurs were already being connected as mentors for women entering business for the first time.
Special camps will also be organised at the district level to help achieve the target of creating 5 lakh women entrepreneurs.
Officials further informed the Chief Minister that incubation programmes were being implemented to transform rural women’s businesses from small livelihood activities into wealth-creating enterprises.
In collaboration with institutions such as IIM Visakhapatnam and Centurion University, women entrepreneurs are being provided access to mentorship, markets, credit, resources and business skills, they said.
Officials also stated that Stree Nidhi, a banking institution focused on women, has provided loans worth Rs 4,800 crore to 4.73 lakh women.
They added that SHG women are currently producing more than 23,000 products across sectors including food, handicrafts and textiles.
Source: IANS
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