With an aim to promote entrepreneurship among women, the government announced that banks have sanctioned Rs 25,586 crore to about 1,14,322 beneficiaries under the Stand Up India Scheme in the last five years. There is a large group of potential entrepreneurs particularly women and Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) who want to set up an enterprise of their own, which allows them to grow and thrive. Such entrepreneurs are spread across country and are bubbling with ideas on what they can do for themselves and their families.
Aspiring SC, ST, and women entrepreneurs are energetic and enthusiastic but may face challenges in converting their dream to reality. Recognizing these challenges, the Stand up India Scheme was launched on April 5, 2016. The scheme aims to promote entrepreneurship at grassroot level focusing on economic empowerment and job creation. This scheme has been extended up to the year 2025.
The objective of Stand-Up India is to promote entrepreneurship amongst women, Scheduled Castes (SC) & Scheduled Tribes (ST) categories, to help them in starting a greenfield enterprise in trading, manufacturing and services sector, by both ready and trainee borrowers.
About Stand Up India Scheme:
- Under the scheme, bank loans between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 crore are provided to at least one Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe borrower and at least one woman borrower per bank branch of Scheduled Commercial Banks.
- Started in April 5, 2016, the scheme has benefited 93,094 women entrepreneurs with outstanding loan of Rs 21,200 crore as of March 23.
- This scheme, which has been extended up to 2025, covers SC/ST and/or women entrepreneurs, above 18 years of age.
- In case of non-individual enterprises, 51 percent of the shareholding and controlling stake should be held by either SC/ST and/or Women Entrepreneur and borrowers should not be in default to any bank/financial institution.