Andhra Pradesh is aiming to raise women’s share of the state workforce from 35.8 to 50 per cent, with the government looking to expand employment opportunities across manufacturing, industry and agriculture.
The target was outlined by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at the Women & Growth Summit 2026 in Visakhapatnam on 12 November 2026. He pointed to the employment generated by industrial clusters across the state as an important contributor to increasing women’s workforce participation.
Sri City currently employs more than 75,000 women, while Brandix Apparel City in Visakhapatnam provides jobs to nearly 20,000 women. The proposed Global Toy Park at Nakkapalli is expected to generate another 30,000 jobs for women.
Additional employment opportunities are anticipated from footwear and other industries being developed in Kuppam and Anantapur, which are expected to employ more than 25,000 women.
Beyond industrial employment, the state is also looking to build on women’s participation in natural farming as women are playing an important role in promoting natural farming by training and guiding farmers across the state. Each group is estimated to support around 100 to 150 farmers.
Nearly 25 lakh acres in Andhra Pradesh are currently under natural farming, involving an estimated 20–25 lakh farmers, most of whom are women, Naidu said.
The government’s approach places industrial job creation and women’s involvement in agriculture as two important routes to improving workforce participation. While the proposed industrial projects are expected to add to employment opportunities, the state has not specified a timeline for achieving its 50 per cent participation target.
