Samriddhi – Scheme for SC/ST Students for Setting Start-Ups

Introduced by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the Samriddhi scheme helps young talent from the Scheduled Caste (SC) and the Scheduled Tribe (ST) to start their own ventures. It provides financial support to institutes that select eligible student start-ups and offer seed funding, guidance, and resources to help them establish sustainable enterprises.

Key Features

• The programme runs for 2 years, providing structured backing throughout the implementation period.
• Each selected institute receives a one-time financial grant of ₹20 Lakh sanctioned under AICTE’s framework.
• Out of this, ₹1 Lakh per year is treated as recurring support to cover operational and administrative expenses.
• The full non-recurring portion is released at the time of approval.
• Nine start-ups led by SC/ST students are supported under each centre, with ₹2 Lakh granted to each as seed capital.
• An additional ₹2 Lakh is allocated to the host institute to manage coordination and procedural costs.
• Applications are reviewed by a committee of 3 experts, including at least one entrepreneur, ensuring fair and professional evaluation.

Key Benefits

• Helps students convert their ideas into viable ventures through structured funding and mentorship.
• Provides early-stage capital of ₹2 Lakh per start-up, reducing initial financial hurdles.
• Strengthens incubation centres and expands the innovation capacity within AICTE-approved institutions.
• Builds accountability through a feedback system that allows continuous monitoring and improvement of start-up activities.
• Encourages participation from students belonging to marginalised communities, fostering inclusivity in enterprise development.
• Ensures transparency in allocation, assessment, and reporting through expert oversight and defined institutional procedures.

Participation in the  Samriddhi Scheme for SC/ST Students, depends on defined conditions that confirm preparedness and credibility.

For Institutions

• Must be an organisation accredited by the AICTE and recognised as a qualified department of study
• Should have functioned consistently for at least 10 years with stable academic performance and administrative continuity
• Needs to operate an incubation unit that has remained active and productive for a minimum of 5 consecutive years
• Records a steady intake of around 50 students from SC/ST backgrounds across the past 3 academic sessions
• Required to align with the Government of India’s Tribal Sub Plan and Scheduled Caste Sub Plan framework

For Students

• Should be in the final year of a recognised degree or diploma course within an AICTE- approved institution. Such as a student completing a B.Tech IT at an accredited government polytechnic or university department.
• Must own a formally registered enterprise established under their name and meeting all compliance norms
• Students who already receive assistance under any other AICTE or Government of India start-up scheme are not eligible.

To apply under the Samriddhi Scheme for SC/ST Students for setting start-ups, applicants must present verified records that confirm eligibility, financial status, and institutional capacity. 

Follow these online steps on the AICTE portal. 

1. Access the AICTE Portal

Sign in to the official AICTE website using the credentials already issued to the organisation. After successful entry, navigate to the Quality Improvement Schemes menu and open the AQIS dashboard for application access.

2. Review Institute Details

Basic identifiers such as the institute’s name, code, and address appear automatically. Remaining fields including district, government grant percentage, PAN, and contact email must be filled manually with verified information.

3. Enter Bank Information

Enter complete information about the financial account including branch name, code, and related identifiers. Once the data is reviewed for accuracy, confirm and save to activate the next stage of the form.

4. Create New Application and Select Scheme

Start a new AQIS application using the enabled button. Choose ‘Samriddhi – Programme Centre for SC/ST Students’ from the list of available schemes. A unique identification number is automatically assigned to the application.

5. Add Principal Investigator Details

Select the faculty coordinator through the identification menu. Basic data such as name, title, and qualification appear automatically. The institute must add proposal information covering the technical field, abstract, objectives, and expected results, along with Aadhaar and PAN credentials of the investigator.

6. Complete Mandatory Sections

Navigate through the required tabs including Application Details, Non-recurring Budget, Recurring Budget, Academic Credentials, Justification, and Institutional Credentials. Each section must be accurately filled with relevant entries.

7. Input Budget and Institutional Data

Include the particulars of students and project initiatives with estimated cost and scope. Record faculty qualifications, experience, and previous research work under the respective headings.

8. Validate and Finalise

Once all content is complete, run a final verification through the portal’s validation feature. The system flags missing or inconsistent inputs for correction and confirms once the proposal meets all standards.

Samriddhi Scheme for SC/ST Students bridges education with entrepreneurship for talents from marginalised communities. It allocates ₹20 Lakh to each organisation, including ₹2 Lakh for every selected start-up. 

Bajaj Markets complements this framework by offering business loans of up to ₹80 Lakh, giving emerging entrepreneurs access to flexible funding that strengthens their ventures and encourages sustainable progress.