Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has called for every woman member of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in Andhra Pradesh to become an entrepreneur under the State government’s One Family, One Entrepreneur initiative. He directed Union Minister of State for Rural Development Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar and MSME Minister Kondapalli Srinivas to work towards achieving this goal.
The Chief Minister was speaking after inaugurating the SARAS Aajeevika Mela–2026 in Guntur on Thursday. The exhibition, organised by the Sale of Articles of Rural Artisans Society, will continue until January 18. Notably, this is the first time the SARAS Mela has been held outside Delhi, featuring products crafted by SHG women from across the country.
On the occasion, Mr. Naidu handed over a cheque worth ₹1,375 crore from the Stree Nidhi Credit Cooperative Federation Limited to SHGs and approved an additional ₹2,171 crore in loans through the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP).
Highlighting the impact of women-led movements, Mr. Naidu said the DWCRA and MEPMA SHG initiatives had created history at the national level. He recalled that DWCRA groups were formed to promote women’s economic self-reliance and noted that regular savings by women had significantly strengthened their financial security.
Describing the SARAS Mela as a “mini India,” the Chief Minister said women would lead the future and stressed the importance of branding traditional handicrafts and local food products. He pointed out that Andhra Pradesh has around 80 lakh women in DWCRA groups and 24 lakh in MEPMA, who together have mobilised nearly ₹26,000 crore. He urged SHGs to focus on marketing and sales to improve profitability, adding that about 93,000 women have already emerged as micro and MSME entrepreneurs.
Mr. Naidu also spoke about key welfare initiatives, including Talliki Vandanam, Deepam-2, free RTC travel under Stree Shakti, and digital services offered through the Mana Mitra WhatsApp platform.
Later, the Chief Minister visited various stalls at the exhibition, interacted with artisans, tasted Madugula halwa, and purchased a handloom saree for his wife, Bhuvaneswari. He also sanctioned ₹6 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to a woman potter whose husband is undergoing medical treatment.
Union Minister Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar described the SARAS Aajeevika Mela as a living example of the strength and leadership of rural women and credited Mr. Naidu with transforming the DWCRA movement into a national model.
MSME Minister Kondapalli Srinivas, local legislators, officials, and SHG women from several States were present at the event.
