Schemes That Are Empowering Women Entrepreneurs in India
The last few years have seen the growth of women entrepreneurs in India, who are coming out of their homes or leaving corporate jobs to contribute to the society in their own way.
Starting an enterprise requires capital. There are many financial institutions that offer loans and financial assistance designed specifically for women entrepreneurs. The schemes mentioned below, offered by the Indian government, offer flexible, collateral-free loans with low rate of interest.
Trade Related Entrepreneurship Assistance and Development (TREAD) scheme
This scheme is offered by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) for promoting women entrepreneurs. It empowers women by imparting trade-related training, information and counselling activities. Under this scheme, the government also grants up to 30% of the loan/credit appraised by banks, to a maximum of Rs. 30 lakhs.
Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK)
Established in 1993, this national-level organisation has been set up under Ministry of Women and Child Development. RMK provides micro-credit to women in the informal sector, this credit is provided in a hassle-free manner and is offered without collateral. The organization provides loans to Intermediary Organizations (IMO) which then lends to women Self Help Groups (SHGs).
Under its various schemes, there is no need for collateral if the loan amount is less than Rs. 1 crore. If the amount is more than this figure, then the borrowing organisation must provide 10% of the sanction amount in the form of fixed deposit as security. The maximum loan for an individual women beneficiary is Rs. 50,000, this is given for income generating activities.
Stand Up India scheme
This scheme provides loans to entrepreneurs fromSC/ST tribes, and focusses on promoting women entrepreneurs. It not only helps women in creating a start-up, but also helps those start-ups that are new and have been recently set up.
With the help of this scheme, women can avail loans that can range from Rs. 10 lakhs to Rs. 1 crore. It must be noted here that loans are provided for setting up Greenfield enterprises that are functioning in either the manufacturing, services or trading sectors.
Mudra Yojana Scheme for Women
This scheme is launched by the Government of India, in a bid to encourage women to start their own ventures and be self-sufficient. There is no need for a collateral to avail this loan. On getting verified, the concerned person will receive a Mudra card, which is like a credit card and can be used to buy required material for the business.
The scheme comes in three forms, which are as follows:
- Shishu – Under this scheme, the maximum amount is limited to Rs. 50,000
- SKishor –An established enterprise can avail loans ranging from Rs. 50,000 to Rs.5 lakhs
- Tarun – Successful companies looking to expand further can get up to Rs. 10 lakhs
Among the many financial institutions looking to promote microfinance and women empowerment is Reliance Money. In accordance with our theme of making India ‘Self-Reliant’, we have been providing financial assistance to people in the remotest parts of India by collaborating with Microfinance Institutions (MFIs).
Contact us today to get yourself a custom financial solution at competitive rates.
