Lok Sabha Question No. 2542 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-16
Subject: Start-Up India and Stand-Up India Schemes
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Shri Arvind Ganpat Sawant

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT FOR PROMOTION OF INDUSTRY AND INTERNAL TRADE

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2542.

TO BE ANSWERED ON TUESDAY, THE 16 TH  DECEMBER, 2025.

## START-UP INDIA AND STAND-UP INDIA SCHEMES

## 2542.  SHRI ARVIND GANPAT SAWANT:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY be pleased to state: वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्री

- (a) the steps taken by the Government for the effective implementation of the Startup India and Stand-up India schemes in Maharashtra;
- (b) whether the Government has any proposals to address challenges faced by young entrepreneurs in rural and backward districts in the State;
- (c) if so, the details thereof along with the proposed framework for policy changes or convergence of schemes; and
- (d) the present status of entrepreneurship promotion in Maharashtra's aspirational districts in the country?

## ANSWER

## वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्रालय में राज्य मंत्री ( श्री णिणिन प्रसाद ) THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (SHRI JITIN PRASADA)

- (a): Startup India is an initiative by the Government of India. The Government, with an  intent  to  build  a  strong  ecosystem  for  nurturing  innovation,  startups  and encouraging investments in the startup ecosystem of the country launched the Startup India initiative on 16th January 2016.

Under Startup India initiative, the Government is implementing three flagship Schemes, Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS), Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS), and Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS) to provide funding opportunities  and  support  startups  across  sectors  at  various  stages  of  their business cycle.

FFS  has  been  established  to  catalyze  venture  capital  investments  and  is operationalized by Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), which provides capital to Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)-registered Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) which in turn invest in startups. Specifically for  the  State  of  Maharashtra,  Rs.  6821.95  crore  was  committed  to  80  AIFs under FFS as on 31st October 2025.

|             | SISFS provides financial assistance to seed stage startups through incubators. SISFS is implemented from 1st April 2021. Specifically in the State of Maharashtra, Rs. 120.75 crore was approved to 29 incubators under SISFS as on 31st October 2025. CGSS is implemented for enabling collateral free loans to startups through eligible financial institutions. CGSS is operationalized by the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company (NCGTC) Limited and has been operationalized from 1st April 2023. Specifically for the State of Maharashtra, 72 loans amounting to Rs. 159.56 crore have been guaranteed for startup borrowers under CGSS as on 31st October 2025.   |
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| (b) to (d): | The Government has implemented various measures and schemes across the country to support young entrepreneurs in rural, backward, and aspirational districts across the country, including in the State of Maharashtra. Details of such initiatives are placed as Annexure-I. As a result of such efforts, there are a total of 215 DPIIT recognised startups as on 31st October 2025 from the 4 Aspirational Districts in Maharashtra viz. Nandurbar, Washim, Gadchiroli and Osmanabad (Dharashiv).                                                                                                                                                                             |

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## ANNEXURE-I

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (b) to (d) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2542 FOR ANSWER ON 16.12.2025.

## Key measures to support young entrepreneurs in rural, backward, and aspirational districts across the country, including in the State of Maharashtra:

1.  The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has been working for promoting entrepreneurship development amongst women, marginalized communities, and  individuals  from  lower  socio-economic  backgrounds  in  the  country  including Maharashtra through its Autonomous  Institutes, namely, National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD). MSDE has taken up various initiatives in fostering a supportive entrepreneurship ecosystem comprising of interventions to build entrepreneurial mindset and capabilities and to help and grow enterprises.  The  Government,  through  various  EDP  and  ESDP  programmes  has enhanced the skills  of  participants  through  interventions  such  as  Digital  Marketing, Financial/Credit and Market Linkages and Industry connect. NIESBUD implemented a project  for  strengthening  the  entrepreneurship  ecosystem  of  different  marginalized sections  of  the  society  and  women  under  the  Skills  Acquisition  and  Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion  (SANKALP) Scheme. Further,  MSDE, through NIESBUD and Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE), is implementing the skilling and entrepreneurship component of PM JANMAN  - a scheme of Ministry of Tribal Affairs for upliftment of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
2.  The  Aspirational Districts  Programme  launched  on  5th  January  2018  by  the Government  of  India  and  anchored  by  NITI  Aayog,  aims  to  bring  transformative changes in the most under-developed districts of India  called Aspirational  Districts. There are 112 Aspirational Districts, across 26 States and 1 Union Territory including the State of Maharashtra. In Maharashtra, there are total 4 Aspirational Districts viz. Nandurbar,  Washim,  Gadchiroli  and  Osmanabad  (Dharashiv).  The  programme monitors the progress of Aspirational Districts on 49 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) across sectors such as Health and Nutrition, School Education, Agriculture and Water Resources, Financial Inclusion and Skill Development and Basic Infrastructure to bring development by improving such performance indicators which are critical for improving quality of life or economic productivity of citizens. The broad strategy of the Aspirational Districts  Programme rests on the 3 Cs - Convergence (between Central and State Schemes), Collaboration (between Centre, State, District Administration, Development Partners and Citizens) and Competition (between Districts).
3.  Credit Guarantee Scheme for Stand Up India (CGSSI) was launched on April 25th, 2016 which covered assistance of over Rs.10 lakhs & upto Rs.100 lakhs (inclusive of working capital) to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes and Women entrepreneurs for setting  up  green  field  enterprises  without  any  collateral  security  and/or  third-party guarantees.
4.  Under the Government's Skill India Mission (SIM), MSDE provides skill, re-skill and upskill training through an extensive network of skill development centres/institutes etc. under  various  schemes,  viz.  Pradhan  Mantri  Kaushal  Vikas  Yojana  (PMKVY),  Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS), National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and Craftsman Training Scheme (CTS) through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), across the country.
5.  Under the Ministry of Rural Development, the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana- National Rural  Livelihoods  Mission  (DAY-NRLM)  through  Start-up  Village  Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP) supports Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and their family members to set-up small enterprises in the non-farm livelihoods sector.
6.  Under Startup India initiative, the flagship funding schemes, (FFS, SISFS, and CGSS), States' Startup Ranking Framework exercise, National Startup Awards, events such as Innovation  Week  and  Startup  Mahakumbh,  activities  to  encourage  corporates  to supporting startups by way of mentorship, access to infrastructure, sharing resources and  knowledge,  assistance  in  market  linkages  and  investor  connect  and  district outreach programs are undertaken to encourage grassroots innovation and setting up of startups across the country by entrepreneurs.
7.  The Ministry of Education's Innovation Cell (MIC) and All India Council for Technical Education  (AICTE)  promotes  innovation  and  entrepreneurship  across  educational institutions.
8.  Youth-centric  initiatives  have  been  introduced  by  the  Ministry  of  Youth  Affairs  and Sports  such  as  setting  up  of  the  autonomous  body  called  Mera  Yuva  Bharat  (MY Bharat),  the  purpose  of  it,  is  to  provide  an  over-arching  institutional  mechanism powered  by  technology  for  youth  development  and  youth-led  development  through Experiential Learning Programs (ELPs), volunteering opportunities, mentorship programme, etc.
9.  The Ministry of Minority Affairs (MoMA) implements various skill development schemes namely  'Seekho  Aur  Kamao',  'Upgrading  the  Skills  and  Training  in  Traditional Arts/Crafts  for  Development  (USTTAD)',  'Nai  Roshni'  and  'Nai  Manzil'  for  socioeconomic  development  of  youth  from  minority  communities.  These  schemes  and initiatives have now been converged into an integrated Scheme called 'Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan' (PM VIKAS).

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