The Telangana government has kicked off a new incubation initiative to empower rural women entrepreneurs, investing ₹21.40 crore . Announced on Friday,May 29,2026, this program falls under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) and aims to promote sustainable business practices among women-led micro-enterprises in the region .
At the launch event held at Adivasi Bhavan in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad,Danasari Anasuya Seethakka,the Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development,stressed the government's goal of turning women from job seekers into job creators. She called the initiative a major economic movement that could change the future for rural women in Telangana.
The program targets minimum of 15% annual revenue growth for participating businesses,potentially creating between 900 and 1,200 jobs in rural and semi-urban areas. Managed by the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) in partnership with T-Hub,BITS Pilani, and WE-Hub,the initiative will support 300 promising women-led businesses across the state.
Out of total funding, ₹8.74 crore is set aside for incubation and enterprise development support,while ₹12.66 crore will be given as grants and zero-interest soft loans. This financial support aims to help women entrepreneurs grow and prepare for market .
As part of the initiative,SERP,along with BITS Pilani and T-Hub,will set up two incubator centers for women entrepreneurs,each getting ₹10.70 crore. The program uses a “Challenge Fund” model to identify scalable enterprises,offering selected entrepreneurs extensive support . This includes business diagnostics, formalization, branding, market access, digital onboarding,mentoring, and financial guidance.
The initiative will also feature IT-enabled monitoring systems to track the growth and performance of the supported businesses. main goal is to help rural micro-enterprises become self-sustaining and market-ready, ultimately creating local jobs.
Currently,about 67 lakh women are linked to self-help groups (SHGs) in Telangana, with around 6.43 lakh already involved in various business activities. This new program aims to build on that existing foundation,driving economic empowerment and fostering a lively ecosystem for women entrepreneurs in region .
Notable attendees at the launch included Divya Devarajan,CEO of SERP,Kavikrut,CEO of T-Hub,and Seetha Pallachola, CEO of WE-Hub,among others .
