Minister Wants To Turn SHG Members Into Successful Entrepreneurs

VIJAYAWADA: MSME and Rural Poverty Alleviation minister Kondapalli Srinivas has directed officials to take effective measures to transform self-help group (SHG) members into successful entrepreneurs, including timely sanction and disbursal of bank loans.

Reviewing the performance of Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) with senior officials in Vijayawada on Friday, Srinivas disclosed that during the 2025–26 financial year, the state government aims to groom one lakh SHG women as entrepreneurs by encouraging them to establish new enterprises.

Listing the progress so far in this regard, the minister said 39,371 SHG women have set up businesses and service units with an investment of ₹578.08 crore. In all, he said, banks have so far sanctioned ₹16,846 crore in loans to SHGs during the current financial year. He directed that the ₹32,322 crore target of credit be achieved by March 2026.

Srinivas emphasised the need to strengthen the 520 farmer producer organisations (FPOs) that have been set up with support of Heifer International, Vasan, Kalagudi and Breads India. He underlined that these FPOs must be supplied quality seeds and fertilisers. Their produce must be procured and processed, so that their output can be sold in open markets to boost the farmers’ incomes.

Referring to the centre’s recognition of IIM Visakhapatnam as an incubation centre for promoting women entrepreneurship, the minister said necessary steps are being taken to train 150 SHG women into becoming industrial entrepreneurs. Those present at the meeting included SERP CEO Vakati Karuna, deputy CEO Sriramulu Naidu, Streenidhi MD Hariprasad and other senior officials.