Andhra Pradesh Launches LEAP to Boost Urban Women's Livelihoods & Entrepreneurship

By: WE staff | Thursday, 10 April 2025

• MEPMA launched LEAP in Tadepalli for the economic empowerment of urban women
• LEAP means Livelihoods & Entrepreneurship Acceleration Plan
• The program has the objective of enhancing women's entrepreneurship and independence

To promote economic empowerment among urban women and reduce poverty, the Andhra Pradesh Urban Poverty Alleviation Organisation (MEPMA) launched the Livelihoods & Entrepreneurship Acceleration Plan (LEAP) in Tadepalli on Wednesday.

The function, which was held at a local hotel, was presided over by MEPMA Mission Director NM Tej Bharat and the India SME Forum. The LEAP programme, initiated under the supervision of Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, aims to foster a minimum of one entrepreneur in each family in Andhra Pradesh. Operating until June 8, the program is aimed at converting self-employed women into successful and sustainable business owners through skill building, financial support, and market access.

Tej Bharat revealed that more than 7 lakh women belonging to self-help groups (SHGs) are actively engaged in small-scale industries like soap manufacturing, incense stick-making, paper plate making, and food processing. Though these enterprises are running, he stressed support in branding, marketing, and expanding. During the last nine months, the government has disbursed Rs 16,000 crore of loans to SHGs for helping them.

With approximately 28.7 lakh women having been organized in 2.74 lakh self-help groups (SHGs) and 99 percent of their data already in digital form, MEPMA now turns its focus to increasing transparency, skill enhancement, and business facilitation.

Sushma Morthania, Director General of the India SME Forum, declared the forum's objective to foster 30,000 city women entrepreneurs—10,000 by scaling up present ventures and 20,000 by promoting new startups. She committed to helping in terms of capacity building, business mapping, and facilitating access to markets and financial capital. The function was attended by MEPMA officials from Tirupati, GVMC, and VMC, among others.