68% of MUDRA Loans Sanctioned to Women, Says FM Nirmala Sitharaman

By: WE staff | Tuesday, 8 April 2025

• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman emphasized the important contribution of women in the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY)
• Almost 68 percent of overall MUDRA loan accounts have been approved to female beneficiaries

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday was pleased that almost 68 percent of Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY) loan accounts have been sanctioned to women. She said that the scheme has emerged as a powerful instrument for empowering women, enabling them to contribute to the economic growth of the country and motivating future generations of women entrepreneurs.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman released the transformational impact of the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY), highlighting its continued operation to empower businessmen as the scheme marks its 10th year since its initiation on April 8, 2015, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Following the announcement of the Union Budget 2024–25, she highlighted that the launch of the Tarun Plus loan category with a higher limit of ₹20 lakh will also give a further boost to entrepreneurs who have serviced earlier loans under the Tarun category successfully, so that they grow and fulfill their potential.

PMMY aims to spur financial inclusion via easy, collateral-free loans up to ₹10 lakh for non-farm, non-corporate small businesses. With the extension of Tarun Plus, aspiring entrepreneurs can now raise funding in the range of ₹10–20 lakh. To finance this program, the Credit Guarantee Fund for Micro Units (CGFMU) will issue guarantee coverage on bigger loans.

In the past decade, more than ₹33.65 lakh crore has been sanctioned under PMMY to more than 52 crore accounts. This includes ₹11.58 lakh crore disbursed to entrepreneurs from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and OBC communities under the vision of the government of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, and Sabka Prayaas".

Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary described PMMY as among the most impactful schemes in the world, easing small business persons with loans financed by banks, NBFCs, and MFIs. The minister again referred to the firm government commitment towards financial inclusion being the cornerstone for inclusive growth.

Prime Minister Modi, in the scheme inauguration, had stated that giving strength to small entrepreneurs is the strongest weapon to build a stronger economy of India. PMMY continues to provide crucial financial support, helping entrepreneurs establish and develop their businesses and enhance their financial strength.