AP signs 36 MoUs to empower SHG women

Amaravati: In a major push to promote economic self-reliance among Self-Help Group (SHG) women, the State government facilitated the signing of 36 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) by Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) and Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA) with various national and private institutions.

The agreements were formalised in the presence of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu as part of the government’s ‘One Family – One Entrepreneur’ initiative aimed at nurturing women entrepreneurs across the State.

The partnerships span finance, agriculture, food processing, handlooms, digital commerce, health services, skill development, MSMEs, and emerging sectors such as seaweed cultivation and AI-enabled farm advisory.

Key agreements include MEPMA’s collaboration with National Egg Coordination Committee to establish 260 egg carts and urban micro-enterprises for women. SERP partnered with Indian School of Business to develop data-driven credit assessment models and to help SHG women convert savings into viable businesses. Marketing and modern retail kiosks for women-made products will be supported through Reconnect Pvt Ltd, while food-processing equipment will be provided with support from Coolex Industries.

Financial inclusion received a boost through agreements with Central Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, and Easy Finance Pvt Ltd for enterprise loans, housing finance, and SHG-led Tirupati canteens. Millet-based retail expansion will be supported by 9 Nuts Millets Pvt Ltd.

In emerging sectors, SERP signed MoUs with National Institute of Ocean Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham for seaweed cultivation training, value addition, and product development. Women entrepreneurs will also benefit from training and market scale-up support through XLRI – Xavier School of Management.

Handloom clusters and exports will be strengthened through partnerships with Indian Emporium and Embiom Consulting Services, while MSME food processing will be supported by the National Institute for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises.

Digital and market access initiatives include collaborations with Flipkart for online storefronts, Digital Green Trust for AI farm advisory, and Calgudi Digital Pvt Ltd for marketing and credit readiness.

Additional agreements cover rural enterprise development, livestock value chains, FPO strengthening, health screening, EV-based mobile food businesses, and skill development through national institutions.

Officials said the MoUs will significantly expand livelihood opportunities, improve market linkages, and accelerate women-led entrepreneurship across Andhra Pradesh.