The Stand Up India scheme is an initiative of the Indian government which helps people from minority groups and first-time woman entrepreneurs avail funding of up to ₹1 Crore for their first business. These loans are offered through India's scheduled commercial banks (SCBs).
Under the scheme, one SC/ST member and one woman entrepreneur can get a loan of up to ₹1 Crore for their first business.
Funding of anywhere between ₹10 Lakhs to ₹1 Crore can be availed by the scheme beneficiaries.
Loans are only granted to applicants who are setting up a business for the first time in either the trading or manufacturing sectors of India.
Through the scheme, applicants can avail funding of up to 75% of the project cost, provided they contribute 25% of the same at the most themselves.
Loans granted under the scheme can be secured with the help of a guarantor or offering a collateral/security, subject to the rules of the lender.
Loans can be repaid by borrowers over 7 years and are entitled to a moratorium period of up to 18 months.
Note that the funding is supposed to be used for setting up the ventures and fulfilling its initial working capital requirements. Also note that the amount allocated to working capital requirements cannot exceed ₹10 Lakhs.
Let us now look at the eligibility criteria and the interest rates applicable under the scheme.
Interest Rate |
MCLR rate of the bank + 3% + Tenure Premium |
Minimum Age Criteria |
18 years for SC/ST members and applying women entrepreneurs |
Minimum and Maximum Available Funding |
₹10 Lakhs - ₹1 Crore |
Shareholding Criteria |
51% in the case of non individual enterprises |
Repayment History Criteria |
The applicant should not be a loan defaulter |
Disclaimer: The figures mentioned above are subject to changes. You are advised to check with the lending institution before applying.
To become a Stand Up India scheme beneficiary, you must follow the steps given below:
Visit the official website of the portal.
Then, you must enter the information related to your business and its location.
After that, confirm if you are a woman entrepreneur/scheduled caste member who holds 51% stake or more in your venture by clicking on the relevant checkboxes.
After that, on the page that will follow, you will have to describe the nature of your business, specify the sector that it belongs to and the loan amount you desire.
Next, you will be needed to select if you are going to need handholding support of any kind as per your need or interest.
Finally, you will need to fill in your personal details such as your name, the name of your business and the username that you desire. To complete the process, click the ‘Submit’ button.
After you have clicked on the ‘Submit’ button, the relevant officials will reach out to you to explain the future steps.
Alternatively, you can apply for a loan under the Stand up India business loan scheme through the offline route. You can visit any bank that is nearest to you and check if they provide loans under the Stand up India scheme. If yes, you can fill up the application form given by them, attach the required documents and submit it to the concerned officials.
To avail a loan as a beneficiary of the scheme, you must submit the following documents:
A copy of the duly-filled application form along with some passport-sized photographs.
Identity proof: Driving licence, passport, Aadhaar card, Voter’s ID or a PAN Card.
Residence Proof: Aadhaar card, PAN Card, electricity bill or a phone bill.
Proof of business address
Deed of partnership (If available).
Copies of lease deed or rent agreement of the office space/manufacturing unit.
Any other document as per the requirements of the bank.
The banks which offer loans under the Stand up India scheme are:
Indian Bank |
Axis Bank |
Indian Overseas Bank |
Bank of Baroda |
Jammu and Kashmir Bank |
Bank of India |
Punjab and Sind Bank |
Bank of Maharashtra |
PNB Housing Finance |
Canara Bank |
State Bank of India |
Central Bank of India |
Union Bank of India |
ICICI Bank |
UCO Bank |
IDBI Bank |
Anyone who belongs to the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe or India who plans on opening a Greenhouse business can apply for a loan under this scheme. First time women entrepreneurs can apply for it too.
You can apply for a loan under the Stand up India scheme either through the online or the offline route. To do it offline, you will have to visit the nearest bank branch, fill up the application form, attach the required documents and submit. The online method is similar in terms of procedure, except you will have to do everything online.
No. However, loans provided under the scheme are offered at attractive interest rates.
Under the Stand up India scheme, first time SC/ST or woman entrepreneurs are provided loans depending on their project cost. Start up India is a government initiative which helps entrepreneurs gain the necessary skills and build a network that will promote and grow their start up ventures.
In the context of the Stand up India scheme, providing comprehensive guidance to first time entrepreneurs in the areas of setting up their business as well as filling up application forms is referred to as hand holding support.