VIJAYAWADA: President Droupadi Murmu has emphasised that to achieve Viksit Bharat by 2047, it is essential to extend the benefits of development to every village and every household.
She called for moving beyond the goal of creating ‘Lakhpati Didis’ to developing ‘Crorepati Didis’ by helping women expand their businesses, and increase their earnings. Self-Help Groups and SARAS Melas can play a leading role in this endeavour, she said.
The President inaugurated the National SARAS Mela 2026 at Punnami Ghat in Vijayawada on Thursday, marking the first time the national-level rural livelihoods fair is being organised outside the National Capital Region (NCR).
Jointly organised by the Union Ministry of Rural Development and the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the 14-day mega event features more than 650 stalls showcasing products made by around 1,500 women entrepreneurs, and Lakhpati Didis from 34 States and Union Territories.
Murmu: Women & men must work together for development of nation
Murmu visited stalls, and interacted with women entrepreneurs participating in the fair. AP Governor S Abdul Nazeer, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Union Minister for Rural Development, Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu and Union Minister of State for Rural Development and Communications Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar also participated in the event.
Addressing a gathering, the President said, “Rural women are no longer merely beneficiaries of welfare schemes, but are increasingly emerging as wealth creators and drivers of economic development.” Over the past 12 years, the number of women associated with SHGs had grown to more than 10 crore, spread across over 90 lakh groups. Their participation in economic decision-making, community activities and collective enterprises is contributing to inclusive rural development. The Centre’s Lakhpati Didi initiative had given a fresh momentum to rural women’s economic empowerment, she said.
Murmu noted that women are increasingly entering modern sectors, including digital services and renewable energy, creating new avenues for skill development, and entrepreneurship. Some women are earning more than Rs 2 lakh a month, demonstrating the potential of women-led enterprises, she highlighted.
Underlining the need for a strong support to SHGs, Murmu said governments should provide them with more resources and promote additional women-led organisations under the Rural Livelihood Mission. She stressed the need to improve rural women’s awareness of digital platforms, financial services and technology, enabling them to expand their businesses and access wider markets.
She also called for eliminating intermediaries to ensure that rural producers, particularly women farmers, receive better returns for their products. SARAS Melas offer women entrepreneurs an opportunity to connect directly with consumers, and gain valuable exposure to branding, packaging and networking, she said.
The President emphasised that women’s empowerment should be measured not merely by their participation in economic activities but also by their control over income and assets. She called for community-based support systems to ease domestic care responsibilities, underlining the need for greater participation of rural women in climate-resilient enterprises.
Stating that women and men should work together for the economic growth of the country, Murmu expressed hope that SHGs and SARAS Melas would help extend the benefits of development to every village and household, contributing to the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.
She congratulated the Union Ministry of Rural Development, the AP Governor and the Chief Minister for organising the event in Vijayawada during Dasara festivities. She also appreciated Andhra Pradesh’s rich cultural heritage, and promised to learn Telugu so that she could interact with people in their native language during her future visits.
The Governor said, “Andhra Pradesh takes pride in hosting the first National SARAS Aajeevika Mela 2026 outside NCR. It is a significant platform to showcase the entrepreneurial potential of rural women across the country.”
He stressed the need to provide women with access to finance, modern technology, branding, packaging and wider markets to build sustainable enterprises. The success of the mela should be measured by the business opportunities and livelihood security it creates.
