Women Led Enterprise Expansion Gains Momentum as Shri N Chandrababu Naidu Sets Target of Five Lakh Women Entrepreneurs

During International Women’s Day celebrations in Amaravati, Shri N Chandrababu Naidu announced subsidised loans worth Rs 10,100 crore benefiting more than 6.8 lakh women and unveiled the Swayam AP brand to market products made by self help groups.

Women led enterprise development has moved to the centre of economic policy in Andhra Pradesh as the state government outlined an ambitious plan to build a large network of women entrepreneurs across households and local businesses.
Speaking at International Women’s Day celebrations organised at the Amaravati Parade Grounds, Chief Minister Shri N Chandrababu Naidu said the state has set a target to develop five lakh women entrepreneurs. He stated that one lakh women have already become entrepreneurs within a year and expressed confidence that Andhra Pradesh could soon have six lakh women entrepreneurs, potentially the highest in the country.

Naidu said the broader vision is to encourage the creation of one micro, small or medium enterprise from every household, with at least half of these enterprises led by women.
During the event, the Chief Minister unveiled the Swayam AP logo, a brand initiative designed to promote and market products produced by women self help groups across the state. The government also felicitated five women entrepreneurs for their achievements.
As part of the programme, subsidised loans worth Rs 10,100 crore were distributed benefiting 6,81,506 women from different sectors. The Chief Minister extended greetings to women on the occasion of International Women’s Day and acknowledged their contribution to families and society.

Naidu said women play a key role in managing household finances and often ensure that family income is used carefully and responsibly. He also referred to earlier reforms aimed at strengthening women’s rights and participation in public life.
Recalling initiatives introduced by former Chief Minister N T Rama Rao, he said equal property rights were granted to women and Padmavathi University was established to promote women’s education. Reservations were also introduced for women in local bodies.
Naidu added that his own government had introduced reservations for women in education and employment and expressed hope that similar representation would soon extend to legislatures.

He also highlighted the role of programmes such as DWCRA and MEPMA in strengthening self help groups and community based economic activity. Referring to the Stree Shakti scheme, he said free bus travel for women has already enabled billions of journeys across the state.
The Chief Minister also spoke about the importance of preserving the joint family system, describing it as one of the strengths of Indian society. He said families should not separate for benefits such as ration cards, pensions or housing schemes and emphasised the need to care for elderly parents as the country’s aging population increases.
Ministers V Anita, Savitha, Sandhya Rani and Kandula Durgesh attended the event along with MLA Shravan and BJP state president PVN Madhav.

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