1. Scheme: Skill Upgradation and Mahila Coir Yojana
Ministry: Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
Department: Coir: Board
Benefit of the Scheme: It is an exclusive training programme aimed at the skill development of women artisans engaged in the coir industry. Two months of training in coir spinning is imparted through this programme. The candidates who undergo this training are given a stipend of Rs. 3000/- per month. The trained artisans under the scheme are encouraged to avail assistance through Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) scheme to set up coir units.
Eligibility Criteria: Rural women artisans in regions producing coir fibre.
2. Scheme: Mahila Samriddhi Yojana
Ministry: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
Department: National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation
Benefit of the Scheme: It is a Micro Finance scheme for women with a rebate in interest. Financial Assistance up to the cost of Rs. 1,40,000/- is provided.
Eligibility Criteria: Women belonging to backward classes, as per the government norms, and whose family income is less than Rupees three lakhs per annum.
3. Scheme: Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP)
Ministry: Niti Aayog
Benefit of the Scheme: As an aggregator platform, WEP hosts information and services relevant to women entrepreneurs. It enables key partnerships to bring crucial content, workshops, campaigns, and other avenues of learning and growth to its users from trailblazers in the industry. Through its partnerships, services are provided in 6 main focus areas
• Community and Networking
• Funding and Financial Assistance
• Incubation and Acceleration
• Compliance and Tax Assistance
• Entrepreneur Skilling and Mentorship
• Marketing Assistance
Eligibility Criteria: Existing and aspiring women entrepreneurs.
4. Scheme: Trade Related Entrepreneurship Assistance and Development (TREAD)
Ministry: Ministry of Micro,Small and Medium Enterprises
Benefit of the Scheme: Assistance in the form of the Government of India (GoI) grant of up to 30 percent of the total project cost, as appraised by the lending agency is provided to the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) for promoting entrepreneurship among target groups of women. The remaining 70 percent of the project cost is financed by the lending agency as a loan for undertaking activities as envisaged in the project. The NGOs can utilise the grant for training, counselling, tie-ups for marketing on behalf of the beneficiaries, etc. besides their capacity building for assisting women. Selected training institutions and NGOs conducting training programmes for the empowerment of women beneficiaries identified under this scheme can also avail of GoI grant of up to Rs. 1.00 lakh per programme, for imparting training to the women entrepreneurs, provided such institutions also bring their share of at least 25 percent of the grant.
Eligibility Criteria Be a legal entity with a minimum registration of three years. Having experience in thrift and saving programmes with Self-Help Groups (SHGs). Be engaged in income generation activities for women entrepreneurs. Have basic infrastructure, qualified support staff, and services to undertake micro-enterprise development for women. Prior experience in preparing project proposals on behalf of women entrepreneurs/women SHGs for income generation activities and taking loans from financial institutions for onward disbursement to them.
5. Scheme: Support to Training and Employment Programme for Women
Ministry: Ministry of Women and Child Development
Benefit of the Scheme: The scheme has 2 fold objectives viz. To provide skills that give employability to women. To provide competencies and skills that enable women to become self-employed/entrepreneurs.
Eligibility Criteria: Women of age 16 years and above across the country
6. Scheme: Mudra Yojana for Women/ Mahila Udhyami Yojana
Ministry: Ministry of Finance
Department: Department of Financial Services
Benefit of the Scheme: Loans up to Rs 10 lakh are provided to women entrepreneurs, without any collateral, and with low interest with flexible repayment tenure. Other terms and conditions: There is no requirement of collateral, for availing Mudra loan for women, Loans can be only allocated for non-corporate, non-farming and non-agriculture based business, which is headed and run by women entrepreneurs, Total tenure for loan repayment for women is a maximum of 5 years, and a minimum of 3 years.
Eligibility Criteria: Women entrepreneurs who are heading and managing any manufacturing or production business are eligible to get loans up to Rs 10 lakh, without any collateral. Examples being artisans, weavers, craftsmen etc. Other small and micro-scale businesses which qualify for Mudra loans for women are phone repairing, auto-repairing, tailoring, photocopying, servicing centers for electronics appliances, spa, beauty parlor services. Loans under Mudra Yojana Scheme for women can be used to set up a new business, expand an existing business or modernize existing business with the latest technology and tools. The age limit for women who can avail of loans under the Mudra scheme is 65 years. The minimum age requirement is 18 years.
7. Scheme: Stand-Up India
Ministry: Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)
Department: Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)
Benefit of the Scheme: Stand-Up India (SUI) scheme for financing SC/ST and/or Women Entrepreneurs has been launched by Hon'ble Prime Minister (PM) on April 05, 2016. The objective of the SUI scheme is to facilitate bank loans between Rs.10 lakh and Rs.1 Crore to at least one Scheduled Caste (SC) or Scheduled Tribe (ST) borrower and at least one woman borrower per bank branch for setting up a greenfield enterprise. This enterprise may be in manufacturing, services, agri-allied activities or the trading sector. In case of non-individual enterprises at least 51% of the shareholding and controlling stake should be held by either an SC/ST or woman entrepreneur.
Eligibility Criteria: SC / ST and /or Women entrepreneurs, above 18 years of age. Loans under the scheme are available only for Green Field Projects. Green Field signifies, in this context, the first time venture of the beneficiary in the manufacturing or services or agri-allied activities or trading sector. In case of non-individual enterprises, 51% of the shareholding and controlling stake should be held by either SC/ST and/or Women Entrepreneur. Borrower should not be in default to any Bank / Financial Institution.