Move from ‘Lakhpati' to ‘Crorepati Didis’

Metro India News | AMARAVATI 

President Droupadi Murmu and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday inaugurated the National Saras Mela 2026 in Vijayawada, with the President calling for women to progress from becoming ‘Lakhpati Didis’ to ‘Crorepati Didis’ through greater access to resources, opportunities and support for women-led enterprises. The national-level exhibition, being organized in Vijayawada for the first time outside Delhi, brings together self-help group (SHG) members from across the country.

The President welcomed the initiative during the Sharannavaratri festivities and appreciated the Union Ministry of Rural Development for taking the event beyond the national capital. President Droupadi Murmu also congratulated Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu for hosting the mela and expressed hope that it would create new opportunities for women entrepreneurs. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said the State government had introduced the ‘Swayam AP’ brand to secure national and international recognition for products made by rural women. 

He announced that one lakh SHG members in Andhra Pradesh had become entrepreneurs over the past year, with the government targeting another five lakh women for entrepreneurship opportunities. Andhra Pradesh has 11 lakh self-help groups with 1.10 crore members, collectively recording a turnover of Rs 69,000 crore, according to the CM. Their products reach an estimated 3.5 crore people, he said.

The CM urged women entrepreneurs to use social media platforms such as WhatsApp and Instagram to expand their customer base and called for stronger supply chains connecting rural producers with national and international markets. Describing President Murmu’s journey from a humble background in a remote tribal region to the country’s highest constitutional office as an inspiration, he said women’s economic empowerment was essential to achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat.