Latest news with #SheLeadsAndhra
Hans India
4 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
Empowering rural women to become digital entrepreneurs
Tirupati: A transformative AI-powered app-driven digital e-commerce initiative, replicated and piloted in Kuppam, has enabled 93 rural women from self-help groups (SHGs) in the state to generate business worth Rs 15 lakh within just 90 days. The success is driven by AI-powered 'Meri Saheli' app, developed by Frontier Markets, as part of the newly launched 'She Leads Andhra' initiative in partnership with the Kuppam Area Development Authority (KADA). The pilot programme replicates Frontier Markets' acclaimed previous initiative 'She Leads Bharat Udyam', backed by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth. The previous initiative has already empowered more than 15,000 rural women across Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh to become successful digital entrepreneurs. In Andhra Pradesh, the model has been tailored to address local needs through strategic collaboration with KADA. 'The initiative leverages the AI-driven Meri Saheli app to equip rural women with the tools to become digitally enabled storefront owners. It enables them to diversify and significantly elevate their incomes through digital commerce,' said KADA Project Director Vikas Marmat. The pilot in Kuppam was conceptualized during the World Economic Forum summit in Davos earlier this year when Frontier Markets founder Ajaita Shah (previously hailed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for her contributions to rural entrepreneurship) met Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Vikas Marmat. The meeting laid the foundation to replicate the success of 'She Leads Bharat' in Kuppam. After identifying aspirational women lacking digital infrastructure and economic stability, KADA helped select the initial cohort of SHG members. They were trained in digital entrepreneurship and integrated into the Meri saheli platform. Over two and a half months, the women transitioned to becoming micro-retailers with access to over 200 market partners and strong last-mile delivery support. Unlike the apps of conventional e-commerce platforms, Meri saheli caters specifically to tier-5 and tier-6 rural areas. It ensures access to essential goods at competitive prices, delivered directly to rural households, thereby enabling broader inclusion in digital commerce. During his visit to Kuppam on July 2, Chief Minister Naidu visited Kuppam and interacted with the SHG women involved in the project. He acknowledged the model's tangible success and expressed his intention to expand the program statewide. 'She Leads Andhra aims to empower 30,000 SHG women in its first phase to fully saturate Chittoor district, and 1 lakh women across the state over the next three years.
The Hindu
03-08-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Chief Minister Naidu hails success of ‘She Leads Andhra' pilot project in Kuppam
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has commended the success of 'She Leads Andhra' pilot project implemented in Kuppam Assembly Constituency. The project enabled 93 rural SHG women to generate ₹15 lakh in business in just 90 days through digital commerce, said Project Director, Kuppam Area Development Authority (KADA), Vikar Marmat. Speaking to the media here on Sunday (August 3, 2025), the official said that the initiative, led by Frontier Markets in partnership with the Kuppam Area Development Authority (KADA), leverages AI-driven 'Meri Saheli App' to equip rural women with the tools to become digitally enabled storefront owners. Based on the success of the pilot project, the Chief Minister announced an action plan to expand the project across the State. While the first phase of the project targeted 30,000 women in Chittoor district, the scheme is expected to cover over one lakh women across Andhra Pradesh during a three-year action plan, covering 50 lakh households, Mr. Marmat added. The project replicated the proven success of Frontier Markets' national model 'She Leads Bharat Udyam,' which has already empowered over 15,000 women in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. It may be mentioned here that during Mr. Naidu's recent visit to Kuppam, he held an interactive session with the women beneficiaries and received inputs first-hand from the grassroots level as how the model changed the landscape of rural living conditions, particularly the women, through linkage with 200-plus market partners, coupled with doorstep delivery in tier-5 and tier-6 villages. The project took shape after Frontier Markets Founder Ajaita Shah and Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu's meeting at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The initiative was later recognised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as an effective move towards empowering rural women by grounding the strategic technology-enabled commerce modules, Mr. Marmat said.
