Govt to relaunch Stand-Up India scheme with wider benefits: Sitharaman

The government is preparing to relaunch the Stand-Up India scheme with modifications aimed at providing enhanced benefits to SC/ST and women entrepreneurs. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman informed Parliament that lessons from the original scheme, which ended in March 2025, are being incorporated into the new version.

New Delhi: The government will soon come out with a modified Stand-Up India scheme to provide better benefits to SC/ST and women entrepreneurs looking to set up new projects, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Monday.

Launched in 2016, the Stand-Up India scheme aimed to empower Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and women entrepreneurs by facilitating bank loans for setting up new enterprises. The scheme expired on March 31, 2025.

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Replying to a supplementary question in the Lok Sabha, the Minister said the modified scheme will incorporate lessons learnt in implementation of the original Stand-Up India scheme.

“With studies done by Niti Aayog and others, this scheme is being redrafted and sooner the Cabinet will be given a proposal with which we will launch a new scheme to continue with this Stand-Up which benefitted SC/ST and women all over the country,” Sitharaman said.

The scheme provided loans between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 crore at the lowest applicable rate of the bank for that category, with a repayment period of 7 years with a maximum moratorium of up to 18 months.

On whether the government is planning to increase the loan amount, Sitharaman said, “We are looking at various options for the new scheme.”

To another question why only greenfield projects were being given loans under the Stand-Up India scheme, she said there are several other loan options available to businesses through PM Mudra scheme or SIDBI financing. Besides, there is Startup India scheme, which is for innovative ideas and largely restricted to urban areas.