Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday said the Andhra Pradesh government would encourage women entrepreneurs in a big way by offering a slew of incentives.
Mr. Naidu was speaking after inaugurating the three-day women entrepreneurs’ conference on innovation, incubation and industrialisation here by the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation(SAARC) member countries.
The conference is being organised by the Association of Lady Entrepreneurs of India (ALEAP) in association with the State government.
Earlier, Industries Minister Amarnath Reddy signed an MoU with South Asian Women Development Forum president Pramila Acharya Rijal and ALEAP president B. Rama Devi for allotment of five acres at Gidijala near here for establishment of an international trade centre and a technology hub for women.
Self-help biz groups
The Chief Minister utilised the occasion to announce that 19 lakh SHGs formed by women would be converted into self-business groups soon.
Mr. Naidu said women had proved their mettle in the IT industry and other fields, adding the State government would go out of the way to ensure inclusive development.
The CM said A.P. had been ranked by the World Bank No. 1 in ease of doing business and urged delegates from SAARC countries to start their units in Visakhapatnam.
Invite to CII summit
He pointed out that women members of his family — his wife Bhuvaneswari and daughter-in-law Brahmani — had become successful entrepreneurs.
He said in the last two and a half years, they had signed MoUs envisaging an investment of ₹13.47 lakh crore to create 30 lakh jobs. He also invited the delegates to the third edition of the CII Partnership Summit-cum-Sunrise A.P. Investment Meet next month.
The Chief Minister said the government was encouraging MSMEs because of their huge employment potential.
SAARC Secretary General Amjad Hussain B. Sial said SAARC would extend full support for promotion of business by women.
HRD Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao, Executive Director of WTO Ratnakar Adhikari, Ministry of Commerce (logistics) Special Secretary Binoy Kumar, India Human Development Program Lead Economist, World Bank’s John D. Blomquist, and MPs K. Haribabu and Murali Mohan were present.
