Telangana aims to create one crore women millionaires by 2034 through self-help groups

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has set a goal to make one crore women millionaires by 2034 by strengthening self-help groups and creating new business and industry opportunities for them. Interacting with self-help group members at the Lagacharla Industrial Hub in the Kodangal constituency on November 8, 2026, he noted that nearly 70 lakh women are already part of these groups.

Economic Initiatives

Mr. Revanth Reddy marked his birthday with the group members and stated that households prosper when women control financial decisions. Self-help groups are currently stitching school uniforms for government students, running petrol bunks, participating in solar power generation, and operating Indiramma canteens in the Secretariat and other government offices. These activities generate annual business worth between ₹15 crore and ₹20 crore. Additionally, the government has given bank-linkage loans totalling ₹79,000 crore to women over the past 34 months, while praising Minister for Women and Child Welfare Danasari Anasuya for her work in building the movement.

Welfare Measures

The Chief Minister announced that 4.5 lakh new pensions were sanctioned on Sunday, including 3.5 lakh for single women and widows, along with new pensions for handloom and toddy-tapping workers. Other support measures include the Indiramma housing scheme, free electricity up to 200 units, and free RTC bus rides for nearly 37 lakh women every day. He urged women to move past depending only on welfare and become business owners, while also asking them to prioritize higher education for their daughters.

Political Context

During the event, Mr. Revanth Reddy criticized BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao over his claims of women's empowerment and asked women to question the opposition party about its ten-year record. Several leaders attended the programme, including Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar and Ministers Damodar Rajanarasimha, Tummala Nageswara Rao, and Vakiti Srihari.

Context

Self-help groups in India bring women together to save money collectively and access bank loans for small businesses, helping improve household income and financial independence. State governments often support these community networks through special funding, subsidized loans, and public procurement contracts to boost local economic growth.