Farm to boardroom: Telangana launches ‘SITHA’ app to turn rural women into entrepreneurs

Hyderabad: Telangana government has launched the ‘SITHA’ (She Is The Hero Always) app to turn rural women into new-age entrepreneurs.

The move is aimed at exploring entrepreneurship opportunities for rural women and helping them to connect with the global job market.

IT & Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu said the government is on a mission to make one crore women crorepatis, under the leadership of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.

Empowerment through Policy and Action

“Empowerment is not just a slogan but a measurable reality,” the Minister said, describing the app as a symbol of Telangana’s broader movement toward gender equity.

Citing the 2024 ‘Men and Women in India’ report by the Central Statistical Office (CSO), Sridhar Babu noted that 86 percent of rural women and 89 percent of urban women in Telangana are active participants in household decisions, evidence of a silent social revolution.

He emphasized that Telangana’s governance model is people-centric, inclusive, and determined to place women at the heart of development.

Indira Mahila Shakti Mission: Transforming Livelihoods

Highlighting the newly launched Indira Mahila Shakti Mission 2025, the Minister said the programme aims to uplift one crore women across 17 business sectors, supporting them with training, credit, and marketing to become entrepreneurs and industrialists.

Key schemes under this initiative include:

Allotment of housing (Indiramma houses) in the names of women

Free bus travel for women in RTC buses, with ownership transfer in progress

Mahila Shakti Canteens in government premises

Support to SHGs involved in tailoring school uniforms (earning ₹80 crore annually)

Zero-interest loans totaling Rs 21,000 crore disbursed in the first year

Inclusive Infrastructure and Livelihood Models

The state government has also signed agreements with oil corporations to set up petrol bunks in all 31 districts, exclusively managed by women’s groups. In the energy sector, solar power plants are being developed with women’s self-help groups as stakeholders.

In housing, employment, and education, the state has created over 60,000 government jobs, recruited 10,000+ teachers, and attracted Rs 3 lakh crore in investments, resulting in one lakh private-sector jobs.

For long-term development, the government has established the Young India Skills University and is constructing 58 residential schools under the Young India initiative, with an outlay of Rs 11,600 crore.

SITHA App as a Game Changer

Sridhar Babu called the SITHA app a gateway to global platforms for women artisans and entrepreneurs in rural Telangana. “This app isn’t just a tool. It’s a movement to connect grassroots talent with international opportunities,” he said.

The event was attended by Palakurthi Congress in-charge Jhansi Reddy, film actress Sreeleela, film director Harish Shankar, and SheJobs founder Sita, along with industry leaders and women entrepreneurs.