Lok Sabha Question No. 2661 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-09
Subject: Youth Entrepreneurship Initiatives under PMKVY 4.0
Ministry: SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Asked by: Shri Vishnu Dayal Ram

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2661

ANSWERED ON 09.03.2026

## YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP INITIATIVES UNDER PMKVY 4.0

## 2661. SHRI VISHNU DAYAL RAM:

Will the Minister of SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP be pleased to state:

- (a) the  entrepreneurship-focused  initiatives  implemented  during  the  year  2025 under schemes, such as PMKVY 4.0, Entrepreneurship Development Programme and allied skilling-cum-enterprise support frameworks;
- (b) the number of youth established enterprises or accessed structured entrepreneurship support;
- (c) the role of institutional partnerships with Startup India, financial institutions and incubation centres in enabling enterprise creation and scalability; and
- (d) whether  the  Government  proposes  any  targeted  incentives,  sector-specific support or convergence measures to further strengthen sustainable youth entrepreneurship outcomes and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

(SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

(a)  and  (b): The  Ministry  of  Skill  Development  and  Entrepreneurship  (MSDE)  has taken various initiatives to promote entrepreneurship in the country. During the year 2025,  multiple  entrepreneurship  focused  initiatives  were  implemented  with  the objective of promoting self-employment, enterprise creation and sustainable livelihoods, particularly among youth, women, SHGs and aspiring micro entrepreneurs.  These  initiatives  were  aligned  with  the  Skill  India  Mission  under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY 4.0), Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN), Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA), and PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana.

The  Ministry  through  its  autonomous  organizations,  namely,  National  Institute  for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) and Indian Institute of  Entrepreneurship  (IIE)  has  implemented  various  Entrepreneurship  Development Programmes  (EDPs)  and  Entrepreneurship  and  Skill  Development  Programmes (ESDPs) under various schemes to promote entrepreneurship amongst all sections of the society. These EDPs and ESDPs are designed to impart entrepreneurial, financial and  managerial  skills  and  also  to  offer  post-training  support  through  mentorship, handholding, and access to credit/finance, market linkages and incubation facilities.

Under  Pradhan  Mantri  Kaushal  Vikas  Yojana  (PMKVY)  4.0,  the  emphasis  is  on empowering  trained  candidates  to  pursue  diverse  career  pathways  by  providing appropriate  orientation,  with  a  strong  focus  on  entrepreneurship  and  livelihood creation through On-the-Job Training (OJT) embedded industry-relevant skill courses.

Also, Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) platform has been launched as a one-stop platform that integrates skilling, education, employment, and entrepreneurship ecosystems to provide a lifelong array of services targeting a wide range of stakeholders. Details of the  trained  candidates  are  available  on  SIDH  portal  for  connecting  with  potential employers.  Through  SIDH,  candidates  can  have  access  to  jobs,  apprenticeship opportunities and other facilities, including loans for entrepreneurship. Job role -wise details of candidates trained  under  PMKVY  4.0  in  FY  2025 -26, related to entrepreneurship, are given below:

| Sl. No.   | Job Role Name                     | Trained / Oriented   |
|-----------|-----------------------------------|----------------------|
| i.        | Dairy Farmer/Entrepreneur         | 69                   |
| ii.       | Green Hydrogen Plant Entrepreneur | 336                  |
| iii.      | Handloom Entrepreneur             | 31                   |
| iv.       | Processed Food Entrepreneur       | 63                   |
| v.        | Street Food Vendor - Standalone   | 2,105                |
|           | Total                             | 2,604                |

Additionally, a number of project proposals have been approved under PMKVY 4.0 in FY 2025 -26 with overall target of 41,600 spreading across various entrepreneurship related job roles such as Street Food Vendor -Standalone , Dairy Farmer Entrepreneur , and Livestock Green Management Promoter .

Under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 (PMKVY 4.0) the key Entrepreneurship Development Programme funded as special projects during 2025 and the enterprises created/ Van Dhan Kendras established/ Jan Poshan Kendras established are placed at Annexure-I.

In addition, there are various initiatives being implemented by NIESBUD and IIE for promotion of entrepreneurship in the country. The details of such initiatives including the  number  of  youth  who  have  established  enterprises  or  accessed  structured entrepreneurship support are placed at Annexure-II.

The number of youth who have established enterprises or benefited from structured entrepreneurship support are placed at Annexure-III.

(c)  and  (d) Institutional  partnerships  with  Startup  India,  financial  institutions  and incubation centres play a critical enabling role in enterprise creation and scalability.The Ministry  has  been  implementing  sector  specific  interventions  and  convergence measures  to strengthen institutional partnerships and youth entrepreneurship outcomes.  Some  of  the  targeted  sectors  are  Dairy  Farmer/Entrepreneur,  Green Hydrogen Plant Entrepreneur, Handloom Entrepreneur, Processed Food Entrepreneur, Street Food Vendor, Fair Price Shops, Rooftop Solar, empowerment of transgender community etc.

In this context, the specific interventions and convergence measures  include-

- I. Promotion of credit and market linkages and handholding and mentoring support ensuring training leads to tangible enterprise outcomes.
- II. Encouragement  of  formalization  including  enterprise  registration  and  digital adoption.
- III. Prioritization  of  high  employment  and  local  potential  sectors  such  as  agro processing  and  food  value  chains;  handloom,  handicrafts  and  traditional industries; tourism and hospitality; solar entrepreneurship etc.
- IV. Development of sector aligned skilling and entrepreneurship programmes.
- V. Strengthened  convergence  with  National  Rural  Livelihood  Mission  (NRLM) under Ministry of Rural Development.
- VI. Further, the Ministry participated in the second  edition of the Startup Mahakumbh held in April 2025 ensuring that India's startup ecosystem benefits from  both  entrepreneurship  policy  support  and  skill  development  making Startup Mahakumbh a more holistic platform for startups, innovators and youth participants.

In addition, there are various schemes/ programmes being implemented by Ministries/ Departments of Government of India with the objective of promoting and supporting entrepreneurs. The details of various Government programmes promoting entrepreneurship development are placed at Annexure-IV.

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (A)  &  (B)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2661 ANSWERED ON 09.03.2026.

The details of various entrepreneurship initiatives funded under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 as special projects are as under:

1. Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN) -MSDE, through  NIESBUD  and  IIE,  is  implementing  the  skilling  and  entrepreneurship component of Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyaan (PM JANMAN) -a scheme of Ministry of Tribal Affairs for upliftment of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), since March 2024. The scheme focuses on 11 critical interventions related to 9 key Ministries including MSDE. One of the key interventions of the Ministry is  facilitating  skill  and  entrepreneurship  developments  in  Van  Dhan  Vikas  Kendras (VDVKs).  The  project  is  being  implemented  with  support  of  Tribal  Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) in 15 States across the country under which a total of 500 VDVKs are to be set up.  As on 15.01.2026, a total of 38,386 beneficiaries  have  been  trained  under  Entrepreneurship  Development  Programme (EDP) and a total of 489 VDVKs have been operationalized.
2. Capacity  Building  Programme  for  Fair  Price  Shop  Owners -MSDE,  in collaboration with the Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD), Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, has undertaken a Capacity Building Programme for Fair Price Shop (FPS) Owners. The project is aimed at enabling the FPS owners to run their businesses in consonance with the contemporary practices being adopted by Retail Entrepreneurs. As on 05-02-2026, 315 FPS owners have been trained under this programme, resulting in conversion of 91 Fair Price Shops to Jan Poshan Kendras.

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (A)  &  (B)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2661 ANSWERED ON 09.03.2026.

The details of various initiatives being implemented by MSDE for promotion of entrepreneurship in the country are as under:

1. Swavalambini programme: MSDE in collaboration with the Women Entrepreneurship  Platform  of  NITI  Aayog,  launched  the  Swavalambini-  a  Women Entrepreneurship Programme in February 2025 in the North-Eastern States of Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana. The programme aims to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset among female students through Entrepreneurship  Awareness  Training  (EAP)  for  1,200  students,  and  out  of  these students  Entrepreneurship  Development  Programme  (EDP)  for  600  students. NIESBUD and IIE are the implementing agencies for the program.
2. Furthermore,  Swavalambini  aims  to  recognise  and  reward  successful  women entrepreneurs emerging from the programme through the Award to Rewards Initiative of Women Entrepreneurship Platform of NITI AAYOG. The programme will leverage

workshops, seed funding, and structured mentoring to support the growth of womenled enterprises.

As  on  15.01.2026,  302  candidates  have  been  trained  under  Entrepreneurship Development  Program  and  82  participants  have  been  trained under  Faculty Development Programme. The programme has resulted in creation of 11 enterprises.

2.  PM  Surya  Ghar  Muft  Bijli  Yojana  Entrepreneurship  Skill  Development Programme NIESBUD under MSDE in collaboration with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is organizing Entrepreneurship Development Programmes (EDPs) on Solar Entrepreneurship under the flagship initiative, PM Surya Ghar  Muft  Bijli  Yojana.  This  programme  aims  to  promote  rooftop  solar  adoption, empower entrepreneurs, and create sustainable livelihood opportunities by fostering and mentoring budding and existing entrepreneurs in the field of solar entrepreneurship. As on 15.01.2026, a total 24,497 beneficiaries have been imparted training under the initiative, out of which 3,044 are women and 740 enterprises have been established.
3. Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA) - DAJGUA is a scheme of Ministry of Tribal Affairs wherein the Ministry of Skill  Development  and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has been assigned two specific interventions of establishing Skilling Centres in 30 tribal districts and providing training for capacity building and business development of 1000 VDVKs and tribal groups. A total of 6649 beneficiaries have been trained under the Entrepreneurship Development Programme.
4.  Establish,  Develop  and  Manage  Entrepreneurship  Development  Centres (EDC) and Incubation Centers (IC) in North East Region's Educational Institution
4. -Under this Project, IIE is mandated to Establish, Develop and Manage EDC and Incubation  Centers  (ICs)  in  North  East  Region's  Educational  Institutions.  The  key features of the project include establishing, developing and managing 30 EDCs and 4 ICs in 8 states of NER, identifying and training 600 mentors from 30 target districts, identifying and training 3600 youth from 30 target districts, incubating 100 business ideas in 4 ICs, supporting 900 business ideas in 30 EDCs through convergence and Seed fund for top 50 incubates in 4 ICs.

As on 15.01.2026, 30 EDCs are fully functional across all 8 North Eastern states and trained  677  mentors.  943  participants  have  been  trained  under  EDP  and  150 entrepreneurs have been selected for incubation.

5. Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) for Transgender Persons -EDP for transgender programme is being implemented by NIESBUD under the SMILE (Welfare  of  Transgender  Persons)  Scheme  of  the  Ministry  of  Social  Justice  and Empowerment.

The  programme  focuses  on  skill  development,  enterprise  creation,  and  financial empowerment of transgender beneficiaries, while ensuring compliance with scheme guidelines, outcome assessment, and performance reporting requirements. As per the programme status data, multiple EDP batches have been conducted across locations such as Delhi and Mumbai. Till 09.02.2026, NIESBUD has conducted 5 programmes in which around 125 transgender participants have participated. Approximately 20% of the trained candidates have established their enterprises and have participated in various exhibitions with the support of the Institute, such as the International Trade Fair and Surajkund Mela.

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (A)  &  (B)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2661 ANSWER ON 09.03.2026.

The number of youth who established enterprises and benefited from structured entrepreneurship support since inception of the programmes is as under:

| Sl. No.                                                                         | Name of Project                                                                                                                      | No. of Enterprise Created                                                       | Benefited from structured entrepreneurship support                              |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE)                                      | Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE)                                                                                           | Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE)                                      | Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE)                                      |
| 1                                                                               | Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan - PM JANMAN                                                                        | 30                                                                              | 1702                                                                            |
| 2                                                                               | Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA)                                                                                  | 6                                                                               | 1200                                                                            |
| 3                                                                               | Skill Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement (STRIVE) Project                                                                | 1361                                                                            | 14000                                                                           |
| 4                                                                               | Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana - PMVDY (under Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission - PMJVM)                                        | 358                                                                             | 107400                                                                          |
| 5                                                                               | SFURTI (Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries)                                                                   | 54                                                                              | 30000                                                                           |
| 6                                                                               | Formation and Promotion of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs)                                                                      | 13                                                                              | 2993                                                                            |
| 7                                                                               | Formation and Revival of Fish Farmer Producer Organizations (FFPOs)                                                                  | 25                                                                              | 4661                                                                            |
| 8                                                                               | Comprehensive Entrepreneurship & Skill Development Training Program (CESDTP) for Tribal Artisans under SANKALP Scheme                | 1000                                                                            | 10000                                                                           |
| 9                                                                               | ESDP Scheme under DC-MSME                                                                                                            | 76                                                                              | 20063                                                                           |
| 10                                                                              | Startup Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP)                                                                                    | 4092                                                                            | 28111                                                                           |
| Total 7015 193130 Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development | Total 7015 193130 Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development                                                      | Total 7015 193130 Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development | Total 7015 193130 Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development |
| 1                                                                               | Strengthening Entrepreneurial Climate through Capacity Building, Incubation Support, Mentoring, and Handholding under SANKALP Scheme | 21629                                                                           | 62825                                                                           |
| 2                                                                               | Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PMJANMAN)                                                                         | 459                                                                             | 36684                                                                           |
| 3                                                                               | Swavalambini Women Entrepreneurship Programme                                                                                        | 11                                                                              | 302                                                                             |

| 4   | Skill Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement (STRIVE) Project                                                                         |   1022 |   32091 |
|-----|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------|---------|
| 5   | Capacity Building Programme for Fair Price Shop Owners                                                                                        |     91 |     315 |
| 6   | Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA)                                                                                           |      0 |    5449 |
| 7   | Rastriya Udyamita Vikas Pariyojana on Pilot Basis for PM Svanidhi Beneficiaries                                                               |    194 |    1704 |
| 8   | Entrepreneurial Climate through Training of Trainers (ToTs) and Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) in Jan Shikshan Sansthans (JSSs) |   1463 |    3969 |
| 9   | Pilot Project on Entrepreneurship Development in Holy Cities                                                                                  |    747 |    8023 |
| 10  | Organising Workshops in Artisan Melas and Haats                                                                                               |    330 |     592 |
| 11  | Pilot Project for Entrepreneurship Development Program                                                                                        |   1917 |    5000 |
| 12  | Entrepreneurship based Skill Development Program on Solar Entrepreneurship PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana                                    |    572 |   26927 |
|     | Total                                                                                                                                         |  28435 |  183881 |

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (C)  &  (D)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2661 ANSWERED ON 09.03.2026.

The  details  of  various  other  measures/schemes  being  implemented  by  the Government to support entrepreneurship are as under:

1. Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises: Ministry of MSME, through Khadi and  Village  Industries  Commission  (KVIC),  is  implementing  the  Prime  Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP).

Number of micro enterprises assisted, margin money subsidy disbursed and estimated employment generated under PMEGP for the last 3 financial year and current year is given below:

| Financial Year             | No. of Units Assisted   | MM Subsidy (Rs. Cr)   | Estimated Employment Generated   |
|----------------------------|-------------------------|-----------------------|----------------------------------|
| 2022-23                    | 85,167                  | 2,722.17              | 6,81,336                         |
| 2023-24                    | 89,118                  | 3,093.87              | 7,12,944                         |
| 2024-25                    | 59,708                  | 2,202.00              | 4,77,664                         |
| 2025-26 (as on 31.01.2026) | 54,648                  | 2,139.10              | 4,37,184                         |

2. Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) - Rural Skills Division is implementing the following two welfare schemes in the field of skill development for rural poor youth for their gainful employment with a view to eradicate poverty in the country under the umbrella  scheme  of  Deendayal  Antyodaya  Yojana  -  National  Rural  Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM). A brief on the Schemes is as under :-

A. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen  Kaushalya Yojana  (DDU-GKY) is a placement-linked skill development program for rural poor youth in the age group of 15-35 years. DDU-GKY 2.0 includes provisions for self and gig employment, with training activities having commenced recently.

B. Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs) is a Bank lead - Ministry of  Rural  Development  (MoRD)  funded  training  institutions  established  by  the Sponsoring Banks in their Districts, to provide training for skill and entrepreneurship development. Under RSETI, the number of youth trained during the FY 2024-25 & 2025-26,  along  with  the  number  of  youths  settled  (established  enterprises  or benefited) is furnished below:

|                           | Total   | Total   |
|---------------------------|---------|---------|
| Financial Year            | Trained | Settled |
| 2024-25                   | 621210  | 467259  |
| 2025-26 (till 31-12-2025) | 404307  | 277041  |

3. Ministry of Textiles - Samarth (Scheme for Capacity Building in Textiles Sector) of Ministry of Textiles provides demand driven, placement-oriented skilling programmes to supplement the efforts of the industry in creating jobs in the organized textile and related  sectors,  covering  the entire  value  chain  of  textiles,  excluding  Spinning  and Weaving in organized  sector  on  pan  India  basis.  Under  the  Scheme,  a  total  of  5, 75,784 beneficiaries have been trained till 03.02.2026.

4. Department  For  Promotion  Of  Industry  And  Internal  Trade  (DPIIT) -  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 through equity and equity-linked instruments.

SISFS provides financial assistance to seed stage startups through incubators in the form of grants, convertible debentures or debt or debt-linked instruments. SISFS is implemented from 1st April 2021.

CGSS is implemented for enabling debt funding to startups through eligible financial institutions by guaranteeing upto a specified limit against credit instruments. CGSS is operationalized by the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company (NCGTC) Limited and has been operationalized from 1st April 2023.

The number of entities which have been recognised as startups by DPIIT as on 31st December 2025 are 2,07,135.

5. Ministry of Minority Affairs The Ministry of Minority Affairs implements Pradhan Mantri  Virasat  Ka  Samvardhan  (PM  VIKAS)  Scheme as  a  Central  Sector  scheme which focuses on socio-economic empowerment of six notified minorities through skill development; entrepreneurship and leadership development of minority women; and education support for school dropouts. A target of over 3,300 women candidates has been allocated under the Women Leadership and Entrepreneurship component of the PM VIKAS scheme.

6. Department  of  Financial  Services  (DFS) under  Ministry  of  Finance  launched Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) on 08.04.2015 to extend collateral free credit up to Rs.20 lakh by Member Lending Institutions (MLIs), i.e., Scheduled Commercial Banks  (SCBs),  Non-Banking  Financial  Companies  (NBFCs)  and  Micro  Finance Institutions (MFIs). Any individual, who is otherwise eligible to take a loan and has a business  plan  for  small  business  enterprise  can  avail  loan  under  the  Scheme  for income generating activities in the manufacturing, trading, service sectors including activities allied to agriculture across four loan categories, viz. Shishu (loans upto Rs. 50,000/-), Kishor (loans above Rs. 50,000/- and upto Rs. 5 lakh), Tarun (loans above Rs. 5 lakh and upto Rs. 10 lakh) and Tarun Plus (loans above Rs. 10 lakh and upto Rs. 20 lakh for those entrepreneurs who have availed and successfully repaid previous loans under the 'Tarun' category w.e.f. 24.10.2024).

Stand-Up India Scheme was launched on 05.04.2016. The objective of the Scheme was to facilitate loans from Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) of value between Rs. 10 lakh and Rs.1 crore to at least one Scheduled Caste (SC) or Scheduled Tribe (ST) borrower and one-Woman borrower per Bank branch for setting up greenfield enterprise in manufacturing, services or trading sector, including activities allied to agriculture. The Scheme was valid/operational till March 2025.

As on 02.01.2026, a total of 56.31 crore loan accounts amounting to Rs. 38.18 lakh crore have been extended under PMMY since inception. Further, the Stand Up India scheme has facilitated over 2.75 lakh loans amounting to Rs.62,790 crore to SC/ST and Women entrepreneurs across the country, as on 31.03.2025.

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