President Murmu Urges ‘Lakhpati Didis’ to Become ‘Crorepati Didis’ at Saras Mela 2026

President Droupadi Murmu has urged rural women to move beyond financial self-reliance and build successful enterprises, expressing hope that today’s ‘Lakhpati Didis’ will eventually become ‘Crorepati Didis’. Addressing the National Saras Mela 2026 in Vijayawada, she stressed the need to expand market access for products made by women’s self-help groups and equip them with the skills to compete in a growing economy.

Murmu appreciated the Union Ministry of Rural Development for organising the national-level fair in Vijayawada for the first time outside Delhi. Highlighting the role of self-help groups (SHGs) in improving rural livelihoods, she called for greater investment in women-led enterprises, digital literacy and support for women farmers. She said fairs such as Saras Mela could help women strengthen their businesses through better branding, packaging and networking, while reducing dependence on intermediaries.

The President also emphasised that women's participation was essential to achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat. Referring to Andhra Pradesh’s cultural heritage, she highlighted the significance of the Tirumala Sri Venkateswara Temple and Amaravati’s architectural traditions.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced the launch of the ‘Swayam AP’ brand to market products manufactured by DWCRA women through e-commerce and online shopping platforms. He said Andhra Pradesh had 11 lakh self-help groups with a combined turnover of Rs. 69,000 crore. The government had helped one lakh women become entrepreneurs over the past year and aimed to increase the number to five lakh, with a long-term target of empowering 10 lakh women entrepreneurs.

Naidu said welfare initiatives such as Thalliki Vandanam and the Stree Shakti free bus travel scheme complemented efforts to improve women's economic security. He called for every self-help group to become an economic force and every village to emerge as an employment centre.

Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan stressed the importance of technology and marketing support in strengthening women's enterprises. Union Minister of State for Rural Development Dr. Pemmasani Chandrasekhar said women's economic empowerment was crucial to national development. He noted that SHGs had received approximately Rs. 13 lakh crore in loans and announced specialised training for 15,000 women in Andhra Pradesh over the next 15 days, covering business management, product quality, packaging, branding and online sales.