Over INR Rs 28996 crore loans disbursed to SC ST and women entrepreneurs under Stand-up India Scheme Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman informed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday that loans amounting to Rs 28,996.15 crore have been sanctioned under the Stand-Up India scheme between April 2022 and March 2025. These loans have been extended to Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and women entrepreneurs to promote enterprise development among marginalised communities.

According to the Finance Minister’s written reply, as many as 1,26,508 beneficiaries received financial assistance during this three-year period, reflecting the government’s continued emphasis on empowering disadvantaged groups through financial inclusion.

A step towards inclusive growth

The Stand-Up India Scheme, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 5, 2016, aims to facilitate entrepreneurship among SCs, STs, and women. The scheme mandates Scheduled Commercial Banks to provide loans ranging from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore to at least one SC/ST borrower and one woman borrower per bank branch. The loans are intended for setting up greenfield ventures in manufacturing, services, trading sectors, or allied agricultural activities.

Loan terms and support services

As per the scheme guidelines, the loans are provided at concessional interest rates, not exceeding MCLR + 3% + tenor premium, with a repayment period of seven years and a maximum moratorium of 18 months.

To streamline the process and offer end-to-end support, the government also launched an online portal — www.standupmitra.in — which acts as a one-stop platform for handholding prospective entrepreneurs. The portal offers guidance on business setup, training, and documentation, and connects users with relevant institutions such as Skilling Centres, Entrepreneurship Development Programmes, District Industries Centres, and Mentorship support agencies.

The Finance Minister underscored that this digital ecosystem plays a crucial role in bridging the gap between aspiring entrepreneurs and financial institutions, further boosting the objective of equitable economic participation.