The Budget 2025 unveils a new scheme that provides Rs 2 crore loans to support 5 lakh women entrepreneurs.
In her Budget 2025–26 speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced a new scheme designed to support 5 lakh first-time women entrepreneurs, as well as those from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The scheme will offer term loans of up to Rs 2 crore over the next five years to help grow their businesses.
Building on the Stand-Up India initiative, the scheme will also provide online training, equipping entrepreneurs with essential skills in business management and entrepreneurship.
Sitharaman said , “As mentioned in the interim budget, we need to focus on the poor, women, youth, and farmers.”
Strengthening Poor Women Entrepreneurs
In the full 2024 Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had allocated a ₹3 lakh crore outlay for women- and girl-centric initiatives.
At the beginning of her speech, she emphasized that the government had placed women at the heart of its policy plans, making it one of the four key pillars of their focus.
Along with these efforts, Sitharaman also highlighted the creation of hostels for working women and the establishment of creches to help them balance work and family responsibilities.
Earlier, during the interim budget, she had announced a significant increase in the target for women beneficiaries under the Lakhpati Didi Scheme, raising the number from two crore to three crore. “83 lakh Self-Help Groups, with nine crore women, are transforming the rural socioeconomic landscape, helping nearly one crore women become lakhpati didis,” Sitharaman had shared in her interim budget address.
Increasing women’s Participation
Sitharaman also outlined plans to turn India Post into a major public logistics organization, a move designed to assist new entrepreneurs, self-help groups, MSMEs, and women entrepreneurs.
The government is aiming to boost women’s participation in economic activities, with a target of reaching 70%. This initiative is a significant step in supporting women and marginalized communities as they start and grow their businesses.
The government has rolled out multiple initiatives to empower women in entrepreneurship, focusing on offering financial support, training, and essential infrastructure to help them thrive.
These programs are specifically aimed at tackling the challenges women encounter in business, providing them with access to funding, expert guidance, and valuable networking opportunities.
