AP Government signs 36 MoUs to empower SHG Women

Metro India News | AMARAVATI

In an initiative to strengthen economic empowerment for women, the Andhra Pradesh government on Sunday facilitated the signing of 36 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with various institutions and organisations to support self-help group (SHG) women in entrepreneurship and livelihood generation.

The agreements were signed by the state’s rural and urban poverty alleviation agencies, Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) and Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA), in the presence of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

The agreements aim to provide women from SHGs with access to finance, training, market linkages, technology support, and enterprise development opportunities across multiple sectors including agriculture, food processing, textiles, digital commerce, and small-scale manufacturing. The initiative is part of the government’s broader vision to create women entrepreneurs under the “One Family – One Entrepreneur” programme, enabling SHG women to transform their savings and skills into sustainable businesses.

The MoUs cover partnerships with banks, academic institutions, private companies, research organisations, and development agencies. These collaborations are expected to support SHG women in establishing micro-enterprises, retail outlets, food processing units, and agricultural value chains.

For instance, MEPMA signed an agreement with the National Egg Coordination Committee to set up 260 egg carts in urban areas, providing employment opportunities for women through small-scale enterprises. Similarly, the Indian School of Business will assist in developing data-driven credit assessment models to improve access to loans for SHG women entrepreneurs.

The government also partnered with private companies such as Reconnect Pvt. Ltd. to establish modern retail kiosks for marketing products made by SHG women, and Coolex Industries to supply machinery required for food processing units run by women entrepreneurs.

Several agreements focus on strengthening marketing channels for SHG products. Partnerships have been signed with organisations to promote Araku coffee outlets, Chai Rasta tea kiosks, millet-based food outlets, and handloom product marketing platforms. Banks including Central Bank of India and Indian Overseas Bank will provide financial assistance for SHG-led enterprises such as Tirupati canteens, coffee and tea outlets, and micro food businesses. The government has also partnered with Flipkart to enable SHG women to sell their products through digital storefronts, giving rural entrepreneurs access to national online markets.

The agreements also include collaborations in agriculture, livestock, and marine-based livelihoods. Partnerships with institutions such as the National Institute of Ocean Technology and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research aim to train women in seaweed cultivation and value-added products, particularly for use in cosmetics and health industries.

Academic and training institutions including XLRI, Indian Institute of Management Visakhapatnam, and the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India will provide training, business profiling, and market expansion strategies for SHG entrepreneurs.

These partnerships are expected to help women build scalable enterprises in sectors such as handloom production, food processing, digital commerce, and micro-manufacturing.

Highlights of the MoUs

■ 36 agreements signed by SERP and MEPMA in the presence of the Chief Minister.

■ Partnerships with banks, startups, universities, research institutes, and private companies.

■ 260 egg carts to be launched in urban areas through SHG women.

■ Support for Araku coffee, Chai Rasta tea outlets, and millet-based retail outlets.

■ Collaboration with Flipkart for digital marketing of SHG products.

■ Training in seaweed cultivation, agriculture, livestock, and food processing.

■ Development of AI-based advisory systems for women farmers.

■ Skill development and enterprise support through XLRI, IIM Visakhapatnam, and EDII.

■ Initiative aligned with the government’s “One Family – One Entrepreneur” vision to promote women entrepreneurs across the state.