Delhi govt rolls out ₹10 crore loans without collateral for entrepreneurs

At a Pahle India Foundation event, Delhi CM Rekha Gupta said empowering women entrepreneurs is key to India's growth

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday announced a new initiative to extend loans of up to ₹10 crore to entrepreneurs without any collateral, stressing that women’s participation in the workforce is essential for India’s progress.

 

Speaking at the launch of a report titled 'Enhancing Female Entrepreneurs in the MSME Sector in India' by Pahle India Foundation at the Ambedkar International Centre, Gupta said previous governments viewed India’s large population as a liability, but it could become a national asset through women’s empowerment.

 

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi says that how will the country develop when half of its population stays locked inside their homes. We need every hand to work for the development of society and the nation,” she said.

 

 

Calling this a “golden era” for women’s empowerment, Gupta added that the Delhi government’s focus is on enabling women entrepreneurs to fulfil their aspirations.

 

“With this scheme, our entrepreneurs can achieve their goals through their ideas and hard work, with government support,” she said.

 

Gender gap in access to credit

 

Women entrepreneurs face a disadvantage in accessing formal loans compared to men, a study by the Goa Institute of Management (GIM) has revealed. The report pointed to a persistent gender gap in credit availability. The research also found that digital technology could play a key role in narrowing this divide.

 

The researchers analysed data on women-owned enterprises in the unorganised sector. Officials said the study covered over four lakh unorganised sector firms, using data from the 2022–23 round of the National Sample Survey Office’s (NSSO) Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE).

 

Central schemes for women entrepreneurs

 

To strengthen women’s access to finance, the central government has launched several dedicated credit schemes:

 

Annapurna Scheme

Designed for women engaged in food and catering businesses, this scheme allows borrowing of up to ₹50,000.

 

Mudra Yojana

Under this programme, loans of up to ₹10 lakh are offered without the need for collateral or security.

 

Udyogini Scheme

This initiative provides loans of up to ₹1 lakh to women entrepreneurs whose annual income is less than ₹40,000.

 

(With inputs from PTI)