AP Govt to Create 5 Lakh Women Entrepreneur's Network

By: WE Staff | Thursday, 14 May 2026

Kondapalli Srinivas, MSME, rural poverty eradication, and NRI empowerment relations Minister, on Wednesday emphasized that Andhra Pradesh has taken the initiative to ensure ongoing policy support to five lakh women entrepreneurs statewide. On a pilot basis, the program will be launched in three to four districts initially, aiming at continuous facilitation and cross-departmental coordination developing a network for rural women entrepreneurs.

A high-level meeting chaired by the Minister with Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) officials in Vijayawada, evaluated reform strategies and welfare programme for supporting women-led SHGs and rural livelihoods.

Kondapalli proposed Key Performance Indicators (KPI) based evaluation for SERP staff, with specialized training units for artisans and traditional occupational communities for skill upgradation.

The MSME Minister confirmed that the government reiterates its commitment to build a robust entrepreneurship ecosystem for rural women through institutional support, skill development, and rural enterprise expansion. Through these efforts the administration is focusing on performance-oriented implementation, operational efficiency, and measurable social impact.

The framework built will accelerate development of five lakh women through facilitating economic participation and provide integrated coordination across several concerned departments. Governments aim is to build a large-scale women-led entrepreneurship ecosystem within the state.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• Govt plans 5L women entrepreneurs plan with SERP-led reforms in Andhra Pradesh
• The drive focuses on KPI system, SHG upskilling and rural livelihood
• Women SHG growth via dairy, solar, EV charging & insurance inclusion programs

Discussions included the development of fodder cultivation plots in dairy-dependent villages alongside targeted support for Self-Help Group (SHG) women dairy owners under PMJJBY and PMSBY. The support aims to build their skills in milk procurement, bottling, and marketing. Training allows them to adapt to best market-driven branding practices.

The initiative will also improve financial inclusion and risk protection through insurance coverage. It will in turn enhance the confidence of these women giving a boost to their market competitiveness through branding, value-chain training, and enterprise management support.

District-level help desks will be established and bank data will be synchronized with SERP portal. Enrolments will be monitored along with support for insurance claim processing will also be available. In addition, a rural enterprise development was assessed, including support for mother hatchery units within SHG women’s backyard poultry systems. The initiative also explored expansion plans around ram-rearing enterprises across selected mandals.

The meeting concluded with a decision to enable women entrepreneurs to establish solar energy units under PM Surya Ghar Yojana and to expand EV charging station networks. SERP Additional CEO Sriram Naidu and other important officials were present for the meeting.