Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu of Vijayawada recently announced ambitious plans to elevate self-help groups (SHG) women's enterprises to national and international prominence. The initiative targets various sectors such as MSMEs, food processing, aquaculture, tourism, and industrial products. Under this initiative, the state government will establish around 100 product clusters to offer essential infrastructure, marketing support, and improved access to finance for women-led businesses. During a review at the Secretariat, the Chief Minister emphasized the importance of quick loan disbursal to SHGs and rigorous field-level monitoring to ensure timely credit disbursement to the beneficiaries. He instructed officials to extend marketing and technology support to help women's enterprises scale up and enhance their presence in high-value markets. Recognizing the financial potential of Dwcra women, Naidu mentioned that their per capita income is presently at Rs 1.45 lakh, which has been further augmented by IT adoption. He aims to create one lakh women entrepreneurs and integrate them into high-growth sectors by focusing on identifying talent, utilizing local resources, and leveraging technology to build sustainable MSMEs led by women. The Chief Minister also proposed innovative ventures like Starbucks-style Araku coffee and millet outlets, along with experimental initiatives such as drone-based delivery, seaweed culture, and home-stay tourism, integrating SHG products into these value chains. He commended the financial discipline of SHG women, who collectively save Rs 20,739 crore, with over 99% repaying bank loans on time. He suggested a fund management framework to optimize the utilization of their savings and credit for investment in new ventures. In a bid to embrace digitalization, the Chief Minister launched the Mepma-Mana Mitra app, offering eight services for SHGs, and the Pragnya app for virtual training. Additionally, he unveiled the annual Avani report, showcasing Mepma's accomplishments and programs, with officials from SERP and Mepma in attendance.