Who can borrow

Stand-Up India eligibility: who can get the loan

स्टैंड-अप इंडिया पात्रता: यह ऋण किसे मिल सकता है

Stand-Up India loans are for women, Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) entrepreneurs above 18 years of age who are setting up their first enterprise. The enterprise can be in manufacturing, services, trading or an agri-allied activity. If the enterprise is a company, LLP or partnership, at least 51% of the shares and the controlling stake must be held by SC/ST and/or women entrepreneurs. You must also not be in default to any bank or financial institution.

Meeting these rules makes you eligible to apply. The bank still checks whether your project is viable before it sanctions the loan.

Eligibility in one table

Sources: scheme features; general FAQs; bankers’ FAQs; PIB, 11 November 2026.

Who counts: SC, ST and women entrepreneurs

The scheme is for “SC/ST and/or women entrepreneurs”. That gives three separate ways to qualify:

• Any woman. A woman from any community, including the general category and OBC, qualifies on gender alone.
• SC entrepreneurs. Men or women belonging to a Scheduled Caste.
• ST entrepreneurs. Men or women belonging to a Scheduled Tribe.

A man from the general or OBC category does not qualify as an individual borrower. He can still be part of a firm that qualifies, as long as SC/ST and/or women partners or shareholders hold at least 51% and control the business.

Banks will ask for proof of the category you are applying under. For SC or ST borrowers that is normally a caste or tribe certificate from the competent authority in your state. See Stand-Up India documents for the full checklist.

Age: above 18 years

The scheme wording is “above 18 years of age”. In practice you must be an adult able to sign a loan contract. There is no upper age limit in the scheme. The bank will still look at whether the repayment period, of up to 7 years, fits your situation.

Greenfield: what a first-time venture means

This is the rule that rules out the most applicants. The scheme says loans are available only for greenfield projects, and it defines greenfield as “the first time venture of the beneficiary in the manufacturing, services, agri-allied activities or the trading sector”.

In practice:

• Covered: you have never run a business in that sector and you are setting one up now.
• Not covered: you already run a shop and want to add a second outlet or more stock. That is expansion.
• Not covered: you want to buy a running business from someone else. That is a takeover.

The bankers’ FAQ on the portal states that “takeover of existing business or expansion of activity/enhancement is not permitted under the scheme”. If you need money for an existing business, look at Mudra or an ordinary MSME loan. Compare them on Stand-Up India vs Mudra vs PMEGP.

Companies, LLPs and partnerships: the 51% rule

A non-individual enterprise qualifies only if at least 51% of the shareholding and the controlling stake are held by SC/ST and/or women entrepreneurs. Both parts matter:

The share rule counts the combined holding of SC, ST and women promoters. Your partnership deed or articles of association should show who holds control, for example who signs for the firm.

Eligible sectors

The loan can be used to set up a new enterprise in:

• Manufacturing: for example food products, garments, furniture, packaging or small engineering.
• Services: for example a beauty parlour, clinic, repair centre, transport service or restaurant.
• Trading: retail or wholesale. Official figures show trading got the most Stand-Up India loans since launch.
• Agri-allied activities, added after the Budget 2021-22.

Agri-allied: what is in and what is out

Source: Stand-Up India FAQs.

No default to any bank

You must not be in default to any bank or financial institution. Banks check your credit history before they sanction. If you have an old overdue loan, a settled account or a credit card in arrears, sort it out before you apply. Ask the lender for a no-dues letter once you have cleared it.

Loan amount

The 2026 approval describes the loan as “above Rs. 10.00 lakh and upto Rs. 1.00 crore”. A loan of exactly ₹10 lakh or less falls outside the scheme. If your project needs less, look at Mudra or PMEGP. If it needs more than ₹1 crore of bank credit, the extra has to come from your own funds or another source. The margin-money calculator shows how this works for your project cost.

If you do not qualify

Not meeting one rule does not end your plans. Depending on the reason:

• Loan of ₹10 lakh or less: Mudra covers loans up to ₹10 lakh, and up to ₹20 lakh under Tarun Plus for those who have repaid a Tarun loan.
• Not a woman, SC or ST entrepreneur: Mudra and PMEGP are open to all eligible individuals. PMEGP gives a margin-money subsidy on new micro units.
• Existing business: Mudra is not described as new-units-only, so ask your bank about it.
• Firm below 51%: changing the shareholding and control before applying can make the firm eligible.

Compare them on Stand-Up India vs Mudra vs PMEGP.

Rules can be re-checked at any time on the official scheme features page.

Eligibility checker

The checker returns a definite answer from the published scheme rules, with each rule listed beside the answer.

Questions:

1. Are you applying as an individual or as a company, LLP or partnership?
2. Individual: are you a woman, SC or ST? Firm: what share do SC/ST and women promoters hold together, and do they hold control?
3. Your age (or the lead promoter’s age).
4. Is this your first venture in this field?
5. Is it a new unit, an expansion or a takeover?
6. Which sector? Manufacturing, services, trading or agri-allied (dairy, poultry, fisheries, food processing and similar).
7. Are you in default to any bank or financial institution?
8. Optional: how much loan do you need?

Result: “You meet the published Stand-Up India criteria” or “You do not meet”, with each rule listed and its official source. If the loan is ₹10 lakh or less, the checker points you to Mudra and PMEGP.

Every result carries the scheme status. The Cabinet approved continuation to 31 March 2031 on 11 November 2026, so confirm with your bank that it is taking applications.

Worked examples

FAQ

Can a woman from the general category apply for Stand-Up India? Yes. Any woman entrepreneur above 18 qualifies on gender. Caste does not matter for women.

Can an SC or ST man apply? Yes. SC and ST entrepreneurs qualify regardless of gender.

What is a greenfield enterprise in Stand-Up India? It is your first-time venture in manufacturing, services, agri-allied activities or trading. Existing businesses, expansions and takeovers do not count.

Can an existing business get a Stand-Up India loan? No. The scheme does not cover expansion, enhancement or takeover of an existing business.

Is there an educational qualification? The scheme does not set one. The bank will judge whether you can run the business, and training is available through handholding support.

Can a husband and wife firm apply? Yes, if the wife (or an SC/ST partner) holds at least 51% and the controlling stake.

Is there an income limit? The scheme does not set an income ceiling. The bank appraises repayment capacity.

Does a past loan default make me ineligible? A current default to any bank or financial institution does. Clear it and keep proof before applying.

I am 18 today. Can I apply? The scheme says “above 18 years”. Adults can apply; your bank applies its own rules on age and contracts.

Next: read how to apply or go back to the Stand-Up India overview.

Last reviewed: 12 November 2026.