Indiramma Cheeralu (One Crore Sarees for One Crore Women)

What is Indiramma Cheeralu?

Indiramma Cheeralu (Indiramma sarees) is a programme of the Government of Telangana to give one crore free sarees to one crore women across the state. The government also calls it One Crore Sarees for One Crore Women. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy launched it on 19 November 2025, the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, by paying tribute at her statue on Necklace Road in Hyderabad and handing sarees to representatives of women's associations.

The government describes the saree as a mark of respect for the women of the state, in the tradition of presenting a saree (saare) to the daughters of the family. At the launch the Chief Minister said that "every girl child will receive a saree" and asked that the programme be carried out in a festive and dignified way.

Related schemes: People who look up Indiramma Cheeralu (One Crore Sarees for One Crore Women) often also check Indiramma Indlu Housing Scheme, Income Certificate in Telangana (MeeSeva), Integrated Fisheries Development Scheme (IFDS), Gruha Jyothi Scheme, Kalyana Lakshmi and Shaadi Mubarak Scheme, Free Fish Seed and Prawn Juveniles Stocking Programme, Labour Card (BOCW) in Telangana, TBOCWWB Beneficiary Registration, EWS (Economically Weaker Section) Certificate in Telangana and Land Record Extract in Telangana (Bhu Bharati ROR and Pattadar Passbook). See also all Telangana government schemes.

The programme replaced the Bathukamma sarees scheme, under which the earlier government gave a saree before the Bathukamma festival to women holding a Food Security Card. That scheme has not been run under its old name since the change of government in December 2023.

What does a woman get?

Each eligible woman gets one free saree. There is no cash component, no fee and no form. The government said the sarees for the whole state are woven exclusively by the handloom workers of Sircilla, and the Chief Minister directed that there be no compromise on quality. During the launch video conference the president of the Sircilla women's federation confirmed that the sarees produced in her district met quality standards, and the president of the Asifabad district federation praised their colour and design. The 2026-27 budget speech says women across the state have expressed satisfaction with the quality of the garments.

Who is eligible for an Indiramma saree?

The official press releases speak of one crore eligible women and say the government's aim is that every eligible woman receives a saree. They do not publish a separate eligibility list or income limit. What they do say about the way the programme is run:

• It is carried out under the Mahilala Unnati, Telangana Pragati (Women's Upliftment, Telangana's Progress) programme, together with the women's self-help group federations (Mahila Samakhyas).
• Distribution is done at mandal centres in all districts, with local legislators and public representatives taking part.
• Each assembly constituency has an assigned officer responsible for the programme.
• Women are identified using Aadhaar registration along with facial recognition, so that no one is missed or counted twice.

If you are a member of a women's self-help group, your village organisation or mandal federation is the first place to ask whether your name is on the list. If you are not in a group, ask at the mandal office.

Who will not get a saree under this programme: the scheme is for women in Telangana only, one saree per woman. Women outside the state, and anyone trying to collect a second saree, are not covered; the Aadhaar and face check is there to prevent duplicates. The programme is for women, so men are not covered.

How is Indiramma Cheeralu distributed?

There is no application. The sarees are handed over in phases:

1. Phase one, rural areas. Sarees were distributed in the villages from 19 November 2025 (Indira Gandhi's birth anniversary) until 9 December 2025 (Telangana Talli Avatarana Dinotsavam). The launch announcement said 65 lakh sarees would go out in this phase.
2. Phase two, urban areas. Distribution in municipal, town and city areas was scheduled for 1 to 8 March, ending on International Women's Day.
3. Collection. At the distribution point, the woman's identity is checked with Aadhaar and face authentication and the saree is handed over through the women's federation.
4. Remaining sarees. The 2026-27 budget speech says 70 lakh sarees had been distributed and that the remaining sarees will be distributed very soon. Watch for the announcement of the next round from your mandal office or federation.

The government split distribution into two phases because saree production was running late, and told officials to inform public representatives well in advance about the distribution schedule.

How to collect your Indiramma saree

1. Find out the date and venue of the distribution in your mandal or municipality from your self-help group, village organisation, ward office or mandal office.
2. Carry your Aadhaar card, because identity is checked with Aadhaar and face authentication.
3. Go in person. Because of the face check, the saree is meant to be handed to the woman herself.
4. Collect one saree and do not pay anything. The saree is free.
5. If your name is missing, ask the assembly constituency officer or the mandal office to record your details for the next round.

How is Indiramma Cheeralu different from the Bathukamma sarees?

Why the government says it runs the programme

At the launch, the Chief Minister linked the saree programme to other measures for women: interest-free loans to women's groups (the government says Rs 27,000 crore has been provided since it took office), free travel in RTC buses, women's groups owning buses and running petrol pumps, management of Amma Adarsh Schools, gas cylinders at Rs 500 and solar power projects. He also repeated the government's target of making one crore women millionaires by 2034. These are separate schemes; the saree itself carries no loan or cash entitlement.

Budget support

The 2026-27 budget speech mentions the programme under the handloom sector. It says the state is distributing sarees free of cost to women through One Crore Sarees for One Crore Women, that 70 lakh sarees have been distributed, and it proposes Rs 258 crore for the handloom sector in 2026-27.

Where to ask or complain

• Your self-help group, village organisation or mandal women's federation, which works with officials on the lists.
• The mandal office or municipal ward office for the distribution schedule.
• The officer assigned to your assembly constituency for the programme.
• The District Collector's office, since Collectors run the distribution in each district.

If anyone asks for money to give you a saree, refuse and report it to the mandal office or the Collector, because the saree is free.