Women should aspire to become Crorepati Didis
In Short
Prez Murmu opens National SARAS Mela in Vijayawada
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President Droupadi Murmu, Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at a stall during the national SARAS Mela 2026 at Punnami Ghat in Vijayawada on Thursday
Vijayawada: President Droupadi Murmu has called upon women to move beyond becoming ‘Lakhpati Didis’ and aspire to become ‘Crorepati Didis’ by establishing and expanding women-led enterprises, given present-day access to adequate resources, opportunities, and institutional support.
Inaugurating the National SARAS Mela 2026 at the Punnami Ghat here on Thursday, along with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, the President stressed the need to strengthen women’s entrepreneurship under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission.
She welcomed the organisation of the national-level event in Vijayawada for the first time outside Delhi, coinciding with the Sharannavaratri festivities at the Kanaka Durga temple.
The President appreciated the Union Ministry of Rural Development for bringing women entrepreneurs from across the country onto a common platform and congratulated Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu for hosting the event.
She expressed her hope that the mela would create wider market opportunities for women-led enterprises.
"India is moving towards self-reliance and looking at the growing economic empowerment of rural women through Self-Help Groups (SHGs), I believe the country could achieve this goal even before 2047," the president said.
The Sale of Articles of Rural Artisans Society (SARAS) Mela, organised jointly by the Union Rural Development Ministry and the Andhra Pradesh government, provides a platform for rural artisans and women SHGs to showcase and market their products. President Murmu said such melas would be organised every year in different states, providing women entrepreneurs with greater opportunities to showcase and market their products.
The 14-day National SARAS Mela, being held from October 15 to 31, features around 650 stalls showcasing products made by women associated with Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA) groups. She said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken special measures to promote rural women's economic empowerment, adding that SHG members were increasingly participating in technological and financial activities.
The president stressed the need to provide SHGs with greater resources and strengthen women-led organisations under the Rural Livelihood Mission.
Speaking on the occasion, Chandrababu Naidu said the state government had introduced the ‘Swayam AP’ brand to secure national and international recognition for products manufactured by rural women and transform them into wealth creators.
The Chief Minister announced that one lakh self-help group (SHG) members had become entrepreneurs in Andhra Pradesh over the past year, while the government aimed to empower another five lakh women to establish businesses.
Positing President Murmu’s journey from a humble background in a remote tribal region to the highest constitutional office as an inspiration to girls, the Chief Minister said her life demonstrated how determination and courage could help women overcome challenges and scale great heights.
Naidu said 650 self-help groups were participating in the mela and stressed that the exhibition should lead to year-round market opportunities for rural women’s products. Increasing incomes, promoting entrepreneurship, and securing wider recognition for locally manufactured goods were among the key objectives, he added.
The Chief Minister said Andhra Pradesh had 11 lakh self-help groups with 1.10 crore members, collectively recording a turnover of Rs 69,000 crore.
Their products were reaching an estimated 3.5 crore people. Urging women to move beyond seeking employment and become job creators, Naidu said products manufactured by SHGs would be promoted under the Swayam AP brand through e-commerce and online shopping platforms.
