He made these comments while addressing a gathering of women organised by K K Shah CharitableTrust at Vatrak in Sabarkantha district. About 4,000 of women, who attended the function, were from 450 self help groups promoted by the trust in 180 villages the district in the last five years.

Naidu recalled three success stories written by Gujarati women. According to him, Gujarat has become a trendsetter with all women Sewa Bank founded by Ela Bhatt. The bank, according to him, has become a role model to involve women as agent of sustainable economic growth of the society.

Another success of Gujarati women was Amul experiment which earned name and fame for Gujarat the world over. According to Naidu, Amul movement would not have become successful without involvement of women at the grassroots level. It was the deep and serious involvement of Gujarat rural women that Amul experiment, he said, became a grand success. The third successful and popular success of Gujarati women, he said, was the Shri Mahila Gruh Udyog Lijjat papad of Mumbai. Naidu said it was started by Gujarati women based in Mumbai decades ago. The total turnover of Lijjat papad, which began with a paltry sum of Rs 80 decades ago, has now gone up to Rs 301 crore.

While appealing women in other parts of the country to emulate Gujarati women, he lamneted that in post-Independent period, India failed in investing in human resource development, particularly with respect to women. This not only retarded economic development but isolated the women from nation building activities, he said.

However, he said that things had changed in the last one and a half decade with more emphasis being laid on adoption of women as growth engine in economy and making them as significant partners and players in developmental programme.

Stating that full potential of women in economic development had yet not been tapped, he said that empowerment of women with education and their access to bank credits might give a tremendous boost to economy and make women financially more indenpendent.

He narrated his own initiatves in setting up of self help groups in Andhra Pradesh during his stint as chief minister. He said that institutional approach to SHGs given by his government helped solve poverty, gender inequality and atrocities against women and children in his state.