Is the Stand-Up India scheme still running?
No. On 16-Mar-2026 the Union Finance Minister told the Lok Sabha that the scheme, launched in April 2016, "came to an end in March last year". She said it is being redrafted to give beneficiaries more benefits, and that a revamped version will be launched (All India Radio, 16-Mar-2026).
The Department of Financial Services says the same on its page. It states that the scheme ran up to 31-Mar-2025, in line with the 15th Finance Commission period, and that the note for a successor was under preparation (Department of Financial Services).
Here is what we found as of 02-Oct-2026:
- No relaunch. We searched government pages and news for a Cabinet-approved new version and found none (Government scheme pages).
- The portals still show Apply buttons. The standupmitra.in site still shows "Apply Here", and the Udyamimitra home page still lists Stand Up India. Do not read these as proof that the scheme takes new loans (Department of Financial Services, Udyamimitra portal).
- JanSamarth no longer lists it. The June 2026 list of business loan schemes on JanSamarth includes PMEGP, Mudra and others, and not Stand-Up India (PIB press release, 05-Jun-2026).
If you plan to apply, ask the bank in writing whether it is still sanctioning Stand-Up India loans. The rest of this page records what the scheme offered, so you can compare it with what replaces it.
The Budget 2025-26 successor
The Union Budget 2025-26 announced a new scheme for 5,00,000 women, SC and ST first-time entrepreneurs. It would give term loans of up to ₹2,00,00,000 over the next 5 years, and "incorporate lessons from the successful Stand-Up India scheme" (Union Budget speech). We found no launch notice and no guidelines. When one appears, this page will carry it.
Stand-Up India at a glance: what it offered
These were the terms on the official Stand-Up India site (Stand-Up India portal to Stand-Up India portal).
| Item | What the scheme said | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Loan range | ₹10,00,000 to ₹1,00,00,000, for at least one SC or ST borrower and one woman borrower per bank branch | Stand-Up India portal |
| Type of loan | A composite loan of 85% of project cost, covering term loan and working capital | Stand-Up India portal |
| Own money | 15% margin money, which could come from other central or state schemes. The borrower brings at least 10% of the project cost | Stand-Up India portal |
| Interest rate | The bank's applicable rate for the borrower's rating category, capped at the base rate (MCLR) plus 3% plus a tenor premium | Stand-Up India portal |
| Repayment | Up to 7 years, with up to 18 months of moratorium | Stand-Up India portal |
| Security | Primary security, plus collateral or a guarantee from the Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme for Stand-Up India Loans, as the bank decided | Stand-Up India portal |
| Working capital | Up to ₹10,00,000 as an overdraft with a RuPay debit card, and above that as a cash credit limit | Stand-Up India portal |
| Lenders | All branches of scheduled commercial banks | Stand-Up India portal |
A moratorium is a period at the start of a loan when you pay no principal. An overdraft is a limit that lets you draw money up to a ceiling. The cash credit and overdraft guide explains how they work.
Who was eligible
- SC, ST and women entrepreneurs above 18 years of age.
- For a firm or company, at least 51% of the shares and control held by an SC, ST or woman entrepreneur.
- A borrower who was not in default to any bank or financial institution (Stand-Up India portal).
- A greenfield project, which means the borrower's first venture in manufacturing, services, agri-allied activities or trading (Stand-Up India portal).
Women entrepreneurs
Women were a large share of the scheme. By 28-Feb-2025 it had sanctioned about 2,67,000 accounts, and about 1,99,000 of them were women's accounts (Department of Financial Services). With the scheme over, women founders can read about these routes:
- CGTMSE cover. The guarantee on collateral-free loans covers 90% of the lender's loss for women entrepreneurs (CGTMSE scheme document). See CGTMSE coverage and claims.
- PMEGP. Women get the special-category subsidy of 25% in urban and 35% in rural areas (PIB press release). See the PMEGP subsidy guide.
- Mudra. Nearly 68% of Mudra loan accounts are with women (PIB press release). See the Mudra loan guide.
The business loans for women entrepreneurs page covers the wider picture.
Was there a subsidy?
Stand-Up India carried no subsidy. It allowed the 15% margin money to come from other central or state schemes, which could include a subsidy (Stand-Up India portal). It was a lending scheme, and the loan was repaid in full.
How people applied
Applications went through the Stand-Up Mitra portal, standupmitra.in, which gave guidance and took applications. JanSamarth also accepted them (Department of Financial Services). Because the scheme has ended, do not start an application on the strength of an old guide. Ask the bank first.
Stand-Up India in numbers
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Accounts sanctioned to 28-Feb-2025 | About 2,67,000 | Department of Financial Services |
| Of which women's accounts | About 1,99,000 | Department of Financial Services |
The Department of Financial Services published these figures. They show the scheme's reach up to the end of its term.
What to use instead
No single scheme replaces Stand-Up India today. A founder can read the PMEGP guide for a subsidy on a new unit, the Mudra loan guide for loans up to ₹20,00,000, and the CGTMSE guide for collateral-free loans above that. Each lender decides.
Launch date and background
Stand-Up India was launched on 05-Apr-2016. Budget 2019-20 extended it up to 2025 (Department of Financial Services). It ended in March 2025, and the revamp is pending (All India Radio, 16-Mar-2026).
Your next step
If you are a woman or SC/ST founder, a lender decides what is available today. Run the free loan readiness check to see how a lender may read your business. Then compare the other routes on the government schemes hub, or read business loans for startups and new businesses.
Frequently asked questions
It was a Government of India scheme under which scheduled commercial banks lent ₹10,00,000 to ₹1,00,00,000 to SC, ST and women entrepreneurs for a first-time greenfield enterprise (Stand-Up India portal, Stand-Up India portal).
Yes. The Finance Minister told the Lok Sabha on 16-Mar-2026 that it ended in March 2025 and is being redrafted. Some portals still show an Apply button (All India Radio, 16-Mar-2026, Department of Financial Services).
On 05-Apr-2016. Budget 2019-20 extended it to 2025 (Department of Financial Services).
SC, ST and women entrepreneurs above 18, with a greenfield project, who were not in default. A firm needed 51% held by such an entrepreneur (Stand-Up India portal).
A composite loan of 85% of project cost, up to 7 years to repay, up to 18 months of moratorium and an overdraft with a RuPay card for working capital (Stand-Up India portal).
Yeh SC, ST aur mahila udyamiyon ke liye ek bank loan scheme thi, jisme pehli baar naya business shuru karne par ₹10,00,000 se ₹1,00,00,000 tak ka loan milta tha. Yeh March 2025 mein khatam ho gayi (Stand-Up India portal, All India Radio, 16-Mar-2026).
The rate the bank applies to the borrower's rating category, capped at the base rate plus 3% plus a tenor premium (Stand-Up India portal).
No. They are separate programmes with different aims. We have not covered Startup India on this page.
Sources
- All India Radio: Finance Minister on Stand-Up India, 16-Mar-2026 , checked 02-Oct-2026
- Department of Financial Services: Stand-Up India scheme , checked 02-Oct-2026
- Stand-Up Mitra: scheme details , checked 02-Oct-2026
- Union Budget 2025-26 speech, paragraph 32 , checked 02-Oct-2026
- PIB: JanSamarth portal, 05-Jun-2026 , checked 02-Oct-2026
- PIB: Stand-Up India extension, 05-Jul-2019 , checked 02-Oct-2026
- Udyamimitra portal , checked 02-Oct-2026