Summary of this article
Banks sanctioned Rs 62,791 crore under Stand-Up India Scheme.
Scheme supports SC/ST and women entrepreneurs since 2016 launch.
Loans fund greenfield projects in trade, manufacturing, and services.
Banks across the country have sanctioned a total of Rs 62,791 crore to 2,75,291 loan accounts under the Stand-Up India Scheme since it was launched in April 2016, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary informed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
The Stand-Up India Scheme was launched on April 5, 2016, to encourage entrepreneurship among members of Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and women. The scheme enables bank loans ranging from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore for setting up new, or "greenfield", enterprises. As per the guidelines, each branch of a Scheduled Commercial Bank is expected to provide such loans to at least one SC/ST borrower and one woman borrower.
According to the minister, these loans have been sanctioned for starting businesses in sectors such as trading, manufacturing, services, and activities allied to agriculture. The aim is to help eligible entrepreneurs establish and grow their businesses, contributing to employment generation and economic development.
In response to another question, Chaudhary said that under the Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS) for short-term crop loans, a total of Rs 17,811.72 crore has been disbursed in the current financial year 2024–25. This includes both Interest Subvention and the Prompt Repayment Incentive, as reported by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. The MISS aims to make short-term crop loans more affordable for farmers, encouraging timely repayment and supporting agricultural productivity.
The minister also addressed queries about Peer-to-Peer (P2P) lending in India. He explained that P2P lending is regulated under the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) Master Directions for Non-Banking Financial Company – Peer to Peer Lending (NBFC-P2P) Platforms, issued in 2017 and last updated on February 27, 2025. These rules ensure fair lending practices, protect borrowers, and promote effective risk management for P2P lending platforms.
Chaudhary added that compliance with RBI’s directions is regularly examined during supervisory assessments of NBFCs. If any violations are found, they are addressed through corrective measures and, where necessary, supervisory or enforcement action is taken.
