AP Govt's poverty elimination scheme & Rapido put 1003 women in the driver’s seat

Minister for IT, Electronics and Education Nara Lokesh on Monday lauded the success scripted by Andhra Pradesh Government's initiative to tie up with Rapido to achieve women empowerment.

“Women empowerment is a key priority,” he stated in a post X after citing the success of Stree Shakti free bus travel scheme launched on August 15.

He said there are wheels of change after success stories received from 9 cities and collective Income of Rs 35 lakhs.

With an electric scooter, a smartphone, and an unshakable spirit, women across AP are steering their families into a brighter future. A quiet revolution is unfolding on the streets of cities like Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, and Nellore, where women from Self-Help Groups (SHGs) have turned into proud micro-entrepreneurs, ferrying passengers through Rapido and bringing home a steady income.

The journey began on March 8 this year, when Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu launched a special initiative on International Women’s Day. Under the government’s “One Family, One Entrepreneur” vision, the Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA) joined hands with Rapido to provide electric two-wheelers and three-wheelers to SHG women and their families.

As part of the pilot phase, the government had facilitated loans for 1,000 beneficiaries across nine urban centers in the State, with 400 each in Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada, 50 in Nellore and Guntur, and 25 each in Kurnool, Tirupati, Kakinada, and Rajahmundry. Of these, about 760 were electric two-wheelers and 240 were electric three-wheelers.

The loans are issued in the name of SHG women, but if a woman does not hold a driving license, a family member with a license is allowed to operate the vehicle on her behalf.

To make the process simple, MEPMA prepared the necessary project reports and helped women secure loans from nationalised banks under the Self-Employment Programme (SEP) scheme.

The partnership with Rapido brought additional support. New entrants enjoyed a waiver on platform onboarding fees for three to four months and monthly EMI assistance of ₹1,000 for the first year, for both two-wheelers and three-wheelers. This ensured that women and their families could start earning from day one, without the initial burden of high repayments.

So far, 1,003 women and their families have benefited from it and have availed loans to buy two/ three-wheelers, with 688 registrations noted on Rapido, officials stated.

Emphasising on the State Government's consistent efforts towards women empowerment, Lokesh said, "women empowerment is a key focus area of TDP government since inception. I’m happy that we could create this partnership with Rapido and empower over 1000 women. This is just a start and we will be doing much more."

While one of the beneficiaries from Vijayawada, Vadlapudi Glory Manju, bought a scooter in March with the help of the government subsidy and began offering Rapido rides. Today, she earns up to ₹10,000 a month. “After finishing my household chores, I ride for a few hours. The income pays my EMI and also helps me save a little. More than money, it’s the independence that makes me happy,” she says, her face lighting up.

Her teenage children often tell her they are proud of her. “That,” she said softly, “is the biggest reward.”