The Andhra Pradesh government is gearing up to introduce an exciting new program: the Chief Minister Employment Generation Programme (CMEGP). This ambitious initiative is designed to significantly boost entrepreneurship in both the manufacturing and service sectors, specifically targeting Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across the state.
Drawing inspiration from the Central government’s successful Prime Minister Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), the CMEGP aims to unlock a wealth of self-employment opportunities for individuals in both rural and urban areas. What sets this new program apart are its enhanced financial ceilings. While the existing PMEGP supports manufacturing units with investments up to ₹50 lakh and service units up to ₹20 lakh, the CMEGP plans to elevate these limits to a more substantial ₹75 lakh and ₹25 lakh, respectively. This increase is expected to empower aspiring entrepreneurs with greater capital, fostering the creation of an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 new business units throughout Andhra Pradesh.
In parallel with the CMEGP, the State government is also developing a dedicated policy to champion the establishment of Common Facility Centres (CFCs). Although the Central government already offers support for such centers, Andhra Pradesh is committed to investing additional resources to accelerate their growth. These CFCs are vital for creating shared infrastructure hubs, providing crucial common resources to clusters of enterprises, which will ultimately help businesses reduce their operational expenses and thrive.