Self Help Groups are a potential source to empower and institutionalize participatory leadership among the marginalized and to identify, plan and initiate development activities. This study aims at evaluating the entrepreneurial empowerment of rural women through SHGs in four blocks from Tuticorin District viz, Oottapidaram, Pudur, Vilathikulam and Kayathar. This study is compiled with the help of the primary data covered only three month period (2011). Totally 185 respondents were selected from 54 SHGs (923 total members) of four blocks by using simple random sampling method. The sample size was 20% of the total members in the SHGs. Entrepreneurial activity is the enterprising human action in pursuit of the generation of value, through the creation or expansion of economic activity, by identifying and exploiting new products, process or markets. Entrepreneurial activity includes the entry of new products, the creation of new products or services, and the innovation associated with different business activated. Entrepreneurial activity can therefore be associated with organic as well as acquisitive decision. From the study, 60% respondents were of the view that SHG intensifies the desire to earn more and make a better living. 34 percent of women expressed that SHG increases the desire to learn more professional skills and only 13 percent of women expressed that SHG compete with professional players and the difference was statistically significant The Self Help Group really helps the women folk to participate in organized activities apart from helping members to mobilize funds. The present study concludes that the respondents are economically and social empowered by becoming members of SHGs in Tuticorin District. To conclude, the economic activities of SHGs are quite successful. In this way, SHGs in four blocks from Tuticorin District were very successful to develop entrepreneurial women empowerment and rural areas.

Keywords: Microfinance, Self Help Group, entrepreneurial empowerment of rural women, Percentage, average, chi square tests and probability analysis.