Women Bus Scheme Expansion: Telangana Expands Indira Mahila Shakti Scheme with 400 More Buses

Women Bus Scheme Expansion: Telangana is taking another major step toward strengthening women’s economic participation with the expansion of the Indira Mahila Shakti Scheme. As part of the second phase, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is set to launch 400 newly acquired buses at the Secunderabad Parade Grounds, further increasing income opportunities for women self help groups across the state.

The latest addition comes after the successful operation of 153 buses launched during the first phase. With the new fleet joining service, the total number of buses under the scheme has risen to 553. The initiative is designed to help women become stakeholders in public transportation while generating a stable source of revenue through vehicle leasing.

Under the arrangement, Telangana State Road Transport Corporation operates the buses on a rental basis. While RTC takes care of drivers, conductors, and operational expenses, women self help groups receive a fixed monthly lease payment for each vehicle. This model has already delivered encouraging results during the first phase, prompting the government to approve a larger expansion.

Officials estimate that the 553 buses together will generate an annual rental income of Rs 244.08 crore for participating women groups. The buses were purchased with financial assistance through bank loans, coordinated by the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty, which oversees the implementation of the scheme.

The women groups have collectively invested around Rs 199.08 crore in acquiring these vehicles. In return, they are expected to receive approximately Rs 20.34 crore every month as lease revenue. Experts believe the initiative could significantly improve the financial stability of thousands of rural women and encourage greater participation in entrepreneurship.

Beyond income generation, the expanded fleet is expected to strengthen transport connectivity across Telangana. More buses will serve mandal headquarters and remote villages, improving access to public transportation in underserved regions.

Nalgonda district currently leads the state with 32 buses provided under the scheme, followed by Nizamabad with 28 buses. Medchal Malkajgiri recorded the lowest participation, with women groups purchasing five buses. The scheme has now reached nearly all rural mandals in Telangana, highlighting its growing impact across the state.