Vizag CII Summit: Andhra Pradesh CM Naidu announces exclusive technology park for women entrepreneurs

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, former Union Minister Smriti Irani and other dignitaries releasing a souvenir at Women and Growth Summit-2026 organised on the sidelines of the 31st CII Partnership Summit in Visakhapatnam on Thursday. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday announced that the State government will set up a dedicated technology park for women entrepreneurs. The government will offer free land and incentives and sponsore five women business leaders to attend the upcoming World Economic Forum in Davos.Addressing the ‘Women and Growth Summit-2026’, organised as part of the CII Partnership Summit under the theme “The Women Who Will Shape the Next Economy: Leadership, Capital, Ambition”, Mr. Naidu underscored his government’s commitment to raising women workforce participation in the State from the current 35.8% to 50%.‘Swayam AP’Highlighting grassroots economic transformation, Mr. Naidu said that 1.13 crore women were currently part of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in Andhra Pradesh, managing a ₹30,000-crore corpus and generating an annual turnover of nearly ₹1 lakh crore with a 99.6% loan repayment rate. Through the ‘Swayam AP’ brand, the government is providing market linkages for SHG products, he said.Pointing to welfare and asset-creation measures, Mr. Naidu said that 60,000 house site pattas worth ₹50,000 crore were recently registered in women’s names in Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, and Mangalagiri to ensure financial security.He also urged corporate leaders to adopt impoverished families under the Public-Private-People Partnership (P4) model to bridge income disparities.Calling for 50% female representation at the next CII summit, he said that emerging sectors such as AI, quantum computing, drones, and semiconductors—including an upcoming semiconductor hub in Tirupati—offer immense opportunities for women.Earlier, former Union Minister Smriti Irani emphasised the need for women-led transformation across all economic sectors.CII President-designate Suchitra Ella credited Mr. Naidu’s policy vision for establishing Hyderabad as an IT and biotech hub, recalling how Bharat Biotech was founded in 1996 under his guidance. Published - November 12, 2026 11:28 pm IST