AP CM Naidu Launches ‘Swayam AP’ Brand

Vijayawada: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday felicitated five outstanding women entrepreneurs and distributed a cheque worth Rs.10,100 crore in subsidised loans benefiting 6,81,506 women in various sectors.

He also unveiled the ‘Swayam AP’ logo, a brand aimed at marketing products manufactured by self-help groups.

Marking the celebrations of International Women’s Day, Naidu visited the Parade Grounds in Amaravati and interacted with women entrepreneurs who had set up stalls displaying a wide range of handmade and food products.

The “Swayam AP” brand name and logo released by the CM have been designed to promote and provide national and international branding for products manufactured by DWCRA groups.

Reaffirming the government’s support for women’s financial empowerment, Naidu handed over a mega cheque of `10,102 crore in loans to women SHGs to strengthen their economic activities.

During his tour of the exhibition, Naidu carefully examined several stalls featuring products crafted by women. These included handwoven sarees, traditional leather puppets, baskets made from horse gram stalks, and a variety of millet-based food products. He interacted with the women exhibitors and enquired about the marketing prospects of their products.

The chief minister asked whether they were facing any difficulties in selling their goods and what kind of assistance they expected from the government to expand their ventures.

One of the exhibitors, Prameela, informed the CM that she had started selling millet-based food items such as tiffins and biscuits in Pulivendula after receiving training through government initiatives. Naidu advised her to also pay attention to the health benefits experienced by consumers and gather feedback from customers regarding the products.

The Chief Minister visited a stall showcasing horticultural produce grown through natural farming in agency mandals, including cherry tomatoes and strawberries. Another stall demonstrated backyard poultry farming, through which women are earning additional income after receiving training support.

Naidu also inspected a stall set up by the police department explaining the activities of the Shakti Team, which works to support and protect women. At the stall, a woman named Sirisha shared her personal story with the CM, explaining how members of the Shakti Team had saved her life when she had attempted suicide. She happily told him that she has secured a teacher’s job through the Mega DSC recruitment, marking a positive turn in her life.

The CM also praised a six-year-old child who gave a demonstration using non-chalk writing skills.

Women and child welfare minister Gummidi Sandhyarani said the CM’s vision is to see every woman emerge as an entrepreneur. She noted that DWCRA women were progressing with confidence and earning substantial incomes. The government’s Super Six welfare schemes, she said, were significantly benefiting women. She also recalled that the former chief minister late N.T Rama Rao had taken a historic step by granting women equal rights in property.

Tourism minister Kandula Durgesh said the government was actively supporting women through financial assistance and welfare measures. The goal, he said, is to create at least one woman entrepreneur in every household and nurture one lakh women entrepreneurs across the state. Schemes such as free LPG connections and free bus travel for women in RTC buses were helping improve their livelihoods, he added.

State BJP president P.V.N. Madhav said both the Centre and the state governments were implementing several schemes for women’s development. Women, he noted, are the driving force of society and are achieving remarkable success across sectors. A healthy woman, he added, ensures the well-being of the family, society and the nation.