The programme will be implemented across all 33 districts of Telangana in phases through SERP’s district and block-level institutional network
| Photo Credit:
Andrii Yalanskyi
The Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP), in collaboration with the Technology Business Incubator Society (TBIS) at BITS Pilani Hyderabad, the start-up incubator T-Hub, and WE HUB, has launched a ₹12.66 crore Challenge Fund to promote rural entrepreneurship.
The initiative, which is backed by the Union Ministry of Rural Development, will support over 300 women and young entrepreneurs through targeted institutional support. It will help shortlisted entrepreneurs build capacity and scale their ventures.
Entrepreneurs operating in manufacturing, food processing, agri-allied enterprises, services, handicrafts and emerging sectors can submit their applications from March 8, 2026, marking International Women’s Day.
The programme will be implemented across all 33 districts of Telangana in phases through SERP’s district and block-level institutional network.
Backed by the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) Incubator Programme, the Challenge Fund will extend structured enterprise diagnostics, customised growth roadmaps and sector-specific mentoring.
In Telangana, more than 65 lakh women are organised into 4.35 lakh Self-Help Groups. By integrating this historically underserved cohort into formal credit, mentorship and market frameworks, the Fund expands the State’s pipeline of growth-oriented enterprises, according to Divya Devarajan, Chief Executive Officer of SERP.
Published on March 3, 2026
