Rural Women Technology Park creates women entrepreneurs

Tirupati: In pursuance of its activities of nurturing rural women with technology intervention thereby making them successful entrepreneurs, the Rural Women Technology Park (RWTP) of Sri Padmavathi Mahila Visvavidyalayam (SPMVV) has begun a two-day workshop in Tirupati on Tuesday. They have opened the workshop for interested women to join and interact with the other women already trained at the Park with product preparation and marketing. 

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) had sanctioned the Rs 89 lakh RWTP to the SPMVV. The objective was to empower and provide rural women a platform to become dynamic entrepreneurs. For this park, the AP government has given site at Chintalapalem village near Yerpedu where they have the incubation centre for providing technology-based training to rural women.

A multi-disciplinary team of faculty was appointed to take the initiative forward with Prof A Jyothi of Department of Home Science as Principal Investigator. They have completed various experiments at laboratory successfully and went to field in search of interested women to become entrepreneurs.

At the laboratory, the team made several products like nutraceuticals, herbal drugs, cosmetics among others with extracts of tender mango and Tulasi leaves.  After this, they carried out a survey at rural areas to find out interested women in starting enterprises.

Initially, they identified 40 women from the areas surrounding Chintalapalem village and are being trained in various aspects of making products by using tender mango leaves and Tulasi leaves for the last few months. Training on income generation methods through microenterprises, better labelling and packing methods and marketing aspects was also being provided.

Speaking to The Hans India on this occasion, Prof Jyothi has said that, as representatives of DST have come from New Delhi to interact with the women under training, the trainees have been brought to University campus from the village for the two-day interactive workshop. This will enlighten them on various options of getting loans to start their own units with the support from banks, District Industries Centre, SETVEN, NABARD etc., The herbs–tender mango and Tulasi leaves will have several antioxidants and work as antibiotics and having several health benefits.

They help in increasing the immunity to people with diabetes and hypertension and the villagers were trained in making 25 different products using these herbs. With the financial assistance provided by DST, they have purchased required equipment to carry out advanced experiments in the field. 

Using the machinery, the trainees have produced various powders and held an exhibition also earlier this month at the campus and could be able to sell them and this workshop will make them to explore the possibilities of getting loans through which they can start own enterprises and become entrepreneurs.