From Our Correspondent
Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh government has set an ambitious target of ₹50,750 crore in loans for women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) during the 2026-27 financial year, with a strong emphasis on promoting livelihoods and women-led entrepreneurship.
The loans will be extended to 84 lakh women belonging to 8.32 lakh DWCRA/SHG groups across the state. Of the total outlay, ₹43,450 crore has been earmarked for livelihood activities, while the remaining ₹7,300 crore will be provided to meet members’ personal financial requirements.
According to officials, the lending programme has been designed on the basis of a Micro Credit Plan (MCP) prepared after consulting every SHG member across the state. The plan identifies the financial requirements of individual members and allocates loans accordingly.
Under the Bank Linkage Programme, each SHG member will be eligible for loans of up to ₹2 lakh. Women requiring higher amounts to establish or expand livelihood activities will receive additional financial assistance through Stree Nidhi, Unnati and the Community Investment Fund (CIF).
Under the revised framework, Stree Nidhi will provide loans of up to ₹2 lakh per member, while the Community Investment Fund (CIF) will extend assistance of up to ₹1 lakh. For Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe women, the Unnati scheme will offer interest-free loans of up to ₹5 lakh, enabling them to meet their entire funding requirement without interest costs.
Officials said the government has, for the first time, integrated multiple funding sources to support women entrepreneurs. For instance, if a woman requires ₹5 lakh to establish a livelihood venture, she can receive ₹2 lakh through bank linkage, ₹2 lakh from Stree Nidhi and ₹1 lakh under CIF. SC and ST beneficiaries requiring similar assistance can avail the entire amount through the Unnati scheme.
The government has also expanded the scope of Stree Nidhi to cover personal financial needs, a departure from its earlier role of financing only livelihood activities. Based on the Micro Credit Plan, nearly 8.82 lakh women have been identified as requiring loans for personal purposes, for which ₹7,300 crore has been earmarked. These loans will be provided independently of bank linkage, allowing eligible members to access additional credit without affecting their livelihood loans.
The initiative is expected to strengthen rural livelihoods, encourage women entrepreneurship and improve access to affordable institutional credit across Andhra Pradesh.