Government schemes

Central and state schemes explained in plain language, each with a link to the official source.

25 schemes for “loan for women”

Women & childrenCentral

Lakhpati Didi

Skill training, enterprise support and access to credit so SHG women can earn ₹1 lakh or more a year

For: Women members of self-help groups under DAY-NRLM

See eligibility and documents

Business & self-employmentCentralStatus changed: check

Stand-Up India

Bank loans from ₹10 lakh to ₹1 crore for a new (greenfield) enterprise

For: SC or ST entrepreneurs and women entrepreneurs

See eligibility and documents

Women & childrenCentral

Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana

A small-savings account for a girl child with a government-notified interest rate and tax benefits

For: Parents or guardians of a girl below 10 years

See eligibility and documents

Farming & alliedCentral

Kisan Credit Card

Short-term farm credit at a reduced interest rate for prompt repayment

For: Farmers, tenant farmers, and animal husbandry and fisheries workers

See eligibility and documents

Business & self-employmentCentral

Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana

Collateral-free business loans: Shishu (up to ₹50,000), Kishore (up to ₹5 lakh), Tarun (up to ₹10 lakh) and Tarun Plus (up to ₹20 lakh for eligible repeat borrowers)

For: Non-farm micro and small businesses: shops, traders, service providers, small manufacturers

See eligibility and documents

Women & childrenMaharashtra

Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana

₹1,500 a month by direct bank transfer

For: Women aged 21 to 65 living in Maharashtra

See eligibility and documents

Women & childrenMadhya Pradesh

Mukhyamantri Ladli Behna Yojana

₹1,500 a month by direct bank transfer

For: Married, widowed, divorced or abandoned women aged 21 to 59 living in Madhya Pradesh

See eligibility and documents

Business & self-employmentCentral

Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme

Bank loan for a new unit with a 15% to 35% margin-money subsidy; project cost up to ₹50 lakh (manufacturing) or ₹20 lakh (services)

For: Individuals above 18 setting up a new micro-enterprise

See eligibility and documents

Business & self-employmentCentralStatus changed: check

PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises

35% credit-linked subsidy up to ₹10 lakh for a food processing unit; seed capital of ₹40,000 for each SHG member

For: Micro food processing entrepreneurs, SHGs, FPOs and cooperatives

See eligibility and documents

Women & childrenCentral

Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana

₹5,000 in two instalments for the first child; ₹6,000 for a second child if she is a girl

For: Pregnant women and mothers of newborns

See eligibility and documents

Women & childrenWest BengalStatus changed: check

Lakshmir Bhandar / Annapurna Bhandar

Monthly cash transfer to women by direct bank transfer; the amount has changed, so check the current figure

For: Women aged 25 to 60 living in West Bengal

See eligibility and documents

Women & childrenKarnataka

Gruha Lakshmi

₹2,000 a month to the woman head of the family

For: Women named as head of household on a ration card in Karnataka

See eligibility and documents

Women & childrenChhattisgarh

Mahtari Vandan Yojana

₹1,000 a month by direct bank transfer

For: Married, widowed or divorced women aged 21 and above living in Chhattisgarh

See eligibility and documents

Women & childrenTamil NaduStatus changed: check

Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam

₹1,000 a month to women heads of families

For: Women heads of households aged 21 and above in Tamil Nadu

See eligibility and documents

HealthCentral

Janani Suraksha Yojana

Cash assistance for delivering in a government or accredited health facility

For: Pregnant women, with a focus on low-income, SC and ST households

See eligibility and documents

Pension & insuranceCentralStatus changed: check

Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension

Monthly pension for widows; the central share is topped up by each state

For: Widows aged 40 and above from below-poverty-line households

See eligibility and documents

Housing & householdCentral

Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana

A deposit-free LPG connection with the first refill and stove

For: Adult women from poor households that have no LPG connection

See eligibility and documents

FPOs, clusters & institutionsCentral

Agriculture Infrastructure Fund

3% interest subvention and credit guarantee on loans up to ₹2 crore for post-harvest and community farm infrastructure

For: Farmers, FPOs, PACS, cooperatives, SHGs, agri-entrepreneurs and start-ups

See eligibility and documents

FPOs, clusters & institutionsCentralStatus changed: check

Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund

3% interest subvention on loans for dairy, meat processing, animal feed and other livestock infrastructure, with a credit guarantee for MSMEs and dairy cooperatives

For: FPOs, MSMEs, Section 8 companies, private companies, dairy cooperatives and individual entrepreneurs

See eligibility and documents

Business & self-employmentCentralStatus changed: check

PM Vishwakarma

Recognition and ID card, skill training with stipend, ₹15,000 toolkit incentive and collateral-free loans (₹1 lakh, then ₹2 lakh) at 5% interest

For: Artisans and craftspeople in 18 traditional trades working with hands and tools

See eligibility and documents

Business & self-employmentCentral

PM SVANidhi

Collateral-free working-capital loans for street vendors in three rising stages (up to ₹15,000, ₹25,000 and ₹50,000), with interest subsidy and digital-payment rewards

For: Street vendors and hawkers in urban and nearby areas

See eligibility and documents

Education & skillsCentral

PM Vidyalaxmi

Collateral-free, guarantor-free education loans, with interest subvention for lower-income families

For: Students admitted on merit to listed quality higher education institutions

See eligibility and documents

Pension & insuranceCentral

Atal Pension Yojana

Guaranteed monthly pension of ₹1,000 to ₹5,000 after the age of 60

For: Citizens aged 18 to 40 with a savings bank account

See eligibility and documents

Housing & householdCentral

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban 2.0

Assistance to build or buy a house, or an interest subsidy on a home loan

For: Urban families in the EWS, LIG and MIG income groups without a pucca house

See eligibility and documents

FPOs, clusters & institutionsCentralStatus changed: check

Formation and Promotion of 10,000 FPOs

Management support up to ₹18 lakh over three years, matching equity grant up to ₹2,000 per farmer member (maximum ₹15 lakh) and a credit guarantee facility for each FPO

For: Groups of farmers forming a Farmer Producer Organisation

See eligibility and documents