Government has announced a new Loan Scheme for Women, SC/ST Entrepreneurs in the Union Budget 2025-26

Credit to women by Public Sector Banks has seen a substantial increase over last 5 years

Jan Samarth Portal simplifies access to 15 government

The Government reviews all credit linked schemes from time to time and takes several initiatives in order to facilitate ease of access to credit to the entrepreneurs including women entrepreneurs.

As per para 32 of Union Budget 2025-26 “A new scheme will be launched for 5 lakh women, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes first- time entrepreneurs. This will provide term loans upto Rs. 2.00 crore during next 5 years.  The Scheme will incorporate lessons from successful Stand Up India Scheme. Online capacity building for entrepreneurship and managerial skills will also be organized.”

The entrepreneurs are also provided collateral free loans upto Rs. 20 lakh to enable them to set up or expand their business activities under Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY) launched on 8th April 2015.

Further, as informed by Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the details of credit extended to women by Public Sector Banks during the last five years is as under:

Credit to women by Public Sector Banks
(No. of A/cs in Lakh and Amount in ₹ Crore)
Financial Year	No of A/cs	Amount Outstanding
Mar-20	207.60	488,459.43
Mar-21	289.46	731,617.22
Mar-22	305.56	836,200.08
Mar-23	350.90	1,008,935.62
Mar-24	387.24	1,169,279.00

The Government has taken various steps towards effective implementation of the Schemes and for addressing the challenges faced by potential beneficiaries including women which, inter alia, include intensive publicity campaigns, simplification of application form, Credit Guarantee Scheme, providing support in Stand-Up India Scheme by reduction in margin money as well as inclusion of activities allied to agriculture.

The Jan Samarth portal is a one-stop digital platform for linking fifteen Government-sponsored loans and subsidies Schemes. It provides a quick and efficient way to apply for loans and obtain approvals based on a digital evaluation of the applicant's data. Further, many Banks and financial institutions have developed online platforms and mobile apps for end to end digital processing of loan applications, reducing the need for physical paperwork and in-person visits.

This information was given by Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance Shri Pankaj Chaudhary in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

Loan Scheme for Women Entrepreneurs expands term financing access and simplifies digital application processes to increase credit availability. A new loan scheme will provide targeted term financing to first-time women and Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe entrepreneurs, incorporating lessons from the Stand Up India framework and including online capacity-building; existing collateral-free microcredit and Credit Guarantee measures continue, while the Jan Samarth portal and digital bank platforms streamline applications and approvals to improve access to credit for women.