Stand-Up India Empowers 1.26 Lakh Entrepreneurs Between 2022-2025: FM Sitharaman

By: WE Staff | Wednesday, 23 July 2025

• Stand-Up India sanctioned over Rs 28 cr loans between April 2022 to March 2025
• The loans supported SC/ST borrowers and Women Entrepreneurs
• Stand-Up India scheme launched in April 2016 to support Entrepreneurship among women, SC, and ST communities

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman informed the Parliament that, from April 2022 to March 2025, the Stand-Up India Scheme sanctioned loans totaling Rs 28,996.15 crore to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, and women entrepreneurs. The loans supported 126,508 beneficiaries, a significant increase from the previous three years. The loans were aimed at greenfield ventures in manufacturing, services, trading, or allied agriculture, offering concessional interest rates and repayment terms of up to seven years.

An official statement mentioned, "The scheme provided loans of value between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 crore at the lowest applicable rate of the bank for that category (rating), not exceeding base rate MCLR+3 per cent+Tenor premium, with a repayment period of 7 years with a maximum moratorium of up to 18 months."

The online portal, www.standupmitra.in, connects prospective borrowers with banks for loans and offers guidance for SC, ST, and Women entrepreneurs, including training, loan application submission, and connecting them to specific agencies.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Stand-Up India scheme in April 2016 to support entrepreneurship among women, SC, and ST communities, intending to provide loans between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 crore to at least one SC or ST and one woman borrower per bank branch for greenfield enterprises. It enabled first-time entrepreneurs to launch greenfield ventures, bridged credit access gaps, and provided mentorship, training, and handholding. A revamped version is expected by September 2025, with increased loan limits and online capacity building.