AP to set up dedicated Technology Park exclusively for women in state
Visakhapatnam, Nov 12 (TNT) : Andhra Pradesh government to set up a dedicated technology park exclusively for women entrepreneurs, with free land and incentives, to promote women’s participation in the technology and business sectors, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced here on Thursday.
Participating in the Women and Growth Summit-2026, organised as part of the CII Partnership Summit here, Naidu said the coalition government was providing enhanced incentives to women entrepreneurs and would facilitate the participation of five women entrepreneurs from Andhra Pradesh at the Davos Summit.
Referring to women’s representation in political institutions, Naidu said although five women had secured positions in the recent corporation elections, the government had provided opportunities to eight women to serve as mayors.
Gender discrimination began at birth and society continued to follow the mindset that sons stayed with parents while daughters were married off, he said, adding that women should be provided equal opportunities in all spheres.
He cited Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s leadership of the country’s economy as an example of women’s capabilities.
Highlighting the economic strength of women’s self-help groups, the Chief Minister said Andhra Pradesh had 1.13 crore women members in SHGs with a corpus fund of Rs.30,000 crore. These groups were generating a turnover of nearly Rs.1 lakh crore, while loan repayment stood at 99.6 per cent.
Women could transform even a small investment of Rs.10 into a business worth Rs.100, he said, adding that the government was creating markets for products manufactured by DWCRA women through the ‘Swayam Andhra’ brand.
Naidu said he had introduced 33 per cent reservations for women in education and employment and called upon all political parties to work towards ensuring similar reservations in legislative bodies.
Women accounted for 50 per cent of representation in local bodies, while Andhra Pradesh ranked second after Goa in providing equal opportunities, according to a recent survey by O.P. Jindal University, he said.
The Chief Minister said women constituted 35.8 per cent of the workforce in Andhra Pradesh and the government aimed to increase the share to 50 per cent soon.
Around 20,000 women were employed at the Brandix garment manufacturing unit, while the proposed Global Toy Park was expected to generate 30,000 jobs for women.
He said investment projects coming up in Kuppam, Anantapur and other parts of the State would create substantial employment opportunities for women.
Women were also playing a significant role in natural farming, which was being practised across 25 lakh acres in the State.
Referring to women’s economic empowerment, Naidu said the government had recently distributed house-site pattas worth Rs.50,000 crore to 60,000 beneficiaries in Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Mangalagiri.
Registration of properties in women’s names would help them secure valuable assets and strengthen their economic independence, he said.
Women’s safety remained a top priority for the government, and there would be no compromise on the issue, he added. The P4 initiative and the Public-Private Partnership model were also helping women create wealth and improve their livelihoods.
Urging corporate organisations to adopt ‘Bangaru Kutumbams’ under the P4 initiative, Naidu cited the example of a woman from Kuppam who had progressed from working in a brick manufacturing unit to becoming its owner, earning Rs.25 lakh annually.
He said women should focus on technology and emerging opportunities, adding that the government would support their political and economic empowerment.
He also called for women to account for 50 per cent of participation at the next CII Partnership Summit.
CII President-designate Suchitra Ella, who is an adviser to the State Government, said women should play a leading role in India’s development and emerge as entrepreneurs, investors and innovators.
Former Union Minister Smriti Irani, representatives of the CII Alliance for Global Good, industrialists and women leaders attended the summit.
Discussions at the event focused on improving women’s access to capital, markets, technology, skills and leadership opportunities.
Naidu also referred to the contribution of women-led initiatives in handloom and biotechnology sectors, noting that Andhra Pradesh had 54 handloom clusters, many of them led by women’s groups.
TNT KM
