The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, N Chandrababu Naidu, will lay the foundation for the international trade centre for women entrepreneurs during the inaugural of International Conference of Women Entrepreneurs to be held here for three days from Wednesday.

K Rama Devi, President of the Association of Lady Entrepreneurs of India, said a 50-acre site was allotted to the trade centre at Gidijala village for the purpose.

SAARC Secretary-General, Amjad Hussain B Sial, will participate in the conference, which is being held in partnership with the South Asian Women Development Forum and under the aegis of the Andhra Pradesh Government.

Rama Devi said the organisation is involved in developing industrial parks in Krishna, Anantapur and Nellore districts and in Rangareddy district of Telangana.

She said the DPR (detailed project report) envisaged setting up of a minimum of 200 units, each with a cost of Rs 16 crore. ALEI (Association of Lady Entrepreneurs of India) will take up development of infrastructure and intends to complete it in two years. Common facilities would be developed in 20,000 sq. ft.

Visakhapatnam was chosen as it is a port city, Ramadevi said and thanked the Chief Minister for his support and suggestion to set up an incubation centre to help equip enterprising entrepreneurs, particularly from rural areas, with skill and technological support.

It is entitled to 40 per cent subsidy for infrastructure from the Ministry of MSME besides other incentives offered to entrepreneurs in general and women in particular. Women entrepreneurs' potential remained largely untapped partly due to lack of marketing opportunities, she said.

Women entrepreneurs would look to exploit opportunities in food processing and garment-making industries. ALEI would create infrastructure for small units in 500 square yards each employing up to 20 workers.

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