Vijayawada: The Bharatiya Yuva Shakti Trust (BYST), in collaboration with the Andhra Pradesh government, has launched an outreach programme in Palnadu district aimed at encouraging entrepreneurship among rural youth and women.
The initiative, supported by Cisco India CSR, is linked to the state government’s “One Family, One Entrepreneur” concept which focuses on promoting self-employment opportunities.
The campaign began in Tyallur village of Pedakurapadu constituency, where minister Kondapalli Srinivas flagged off a Business Idea Contest vehicle as part of efforts to mobilise youth participation.
Officials said the programme aims to generate around 1,000 business ideas from nearly 100 villages through awareness drives and mentoring support.
Awareness meetings were organised in several areas including Pedakurapadu, Krosuru, Atchampet, Amaravathi, Bellamkonda, Gudipudi and Balusupadu. Educational institutions such as Chalapathi Engineering College, Amar Nursing College, Loyola Engineering College and Kakatiya Degree College also hosted outreach sessions.
According to organisers, Pedakurapadu constituency alone saw participation from around 3,000 youth, with more than 360 business ideas reportedly generated through the programme.
Speaking at the launch, minister Kondapalli Srinivas said the initiative is aimed at helping young people explore self-employment options with support from government schemes and financial assistance programmes.
Officials said the campaign also includes awareness about central schemes such as PMEGP, PMFME and PM Vishwakarma, which provide financial and technical support for small enterprises.
BYST founding trustee Lakshmi V. Venkatesan said the focus of the programme is on mentoring first-generation entrepreneurs and helping them convert ideas into sustainable business ventures.
Palnadu District Collector Dr Krithika Shukla, MLA Bhashyam Praveen and other officials attended the programme.
