Budget 2025-26

The Budget 2025-26 scheme for first-time entrepreneurs, and what happened next

पहली बार के उद्यमियों के लिए बजट 2025-26 की योजना

In the Union Budget for 2025-26, presented on 1 February 2025, the Finance Minister announced a new scheme for 5 lakh women, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe first-time entrepreneurs, with term loans of up to ₹2 crore over five years. Many people now ask whether this “₹2 crore scheme” has replaced Stand-Up India, and how to apply for it.

Here is where things stand. The Budget announcement is official. As of 12 November 2026, the Department of Financial Services has not published a launch notice for the new scheme on its Stand-Up India page. Separately, on 11 November 2026, the Union Cabinet approved the continuation of Stand-Up India itself, with loans up to ₹1 crore, until 31 March 2031. This page sets out exactly what has been said officially, so you can plan with confidence.

What the Budget 2025-26 said

Paragraph 32 of the Budget speech reads:

“A new scheme will be launched for 5 lakh women, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes first-time entrepreneurs. This will provide term loans up to ₹2 crore during the next 5 years. The scheme will incorporate lessons from the successful Stand-Up India scheme. Online capacity building for entrepreneurship and managerial skills will also be organized.”

Source: Budget speech 2025-26. The same text was repeated in a Ministry of Finance reply in the Rajya Sabha on 25 March 2025 (PIB).

What is confirmed and what is not

The Department of Financial Services’ scheme page quotes the Budget paragraph and says that the relevant note for approving the new scheme “is under preparation”. It gives no launch date or application route (DFS).

So there is no official way to “apply for the ₹2 crore scheme” yet. Anyone who claims to take applications or registration fees for it is not acting for the government.

How it relates to Stand-Up India

The Budget said the new scheme will “incorporate lessons from the successful Stand-Up India scheme”. Both target women, SC and ST entrepreneurs, but they differ in what has been announced:

Sources: PIB, 11 November 2026; Budget speech 2025-26.

The November 2026 continuation of Stand-Up India

The scheme period of Stand-Up India ended on 31 March 2025, in line with the 15th Finance Commission cycle. In July 2026 the Ministry of Finance told Parliament that the scheme was operational till March 2025.

On 11 November 2026 the Union Cabinet approved its continuation for five years up to 31 March 2031. The approval keeps Stand-Up India as a scheme for women, SC and ST entrepreneurs setting up new enterprises. It sets the loan as either composite or term loan, above ₹10 lakh and up to ₹1 crore, covering up to 85% of project cost. It also sets credit guarantee cover at 85% of the loan with a standard fee of 0.50%, approves a guarantee corpus of ₹4,111 crore, and targets at least 2.5 lakh more entrepreneurs.

What changed in the 2026 approval

Sources: Stand-Up India portal; About Stand-Up India; PIB, 11 November 2026.

What to do now if you are planning a business

1. Do not wait for the new scheme if Stand-Up India fits. If you need between ₹10 lakh and ₹1 crore for a new business and you are a woman, SC or ST entrepreneur, Stand-Up India is the approved route. Check your eligibility.
2. Ask your bank whether Stand-Up India sanctions have restarted. The Cabinet release does not give a restart date.
3. Prepare your file anyway. A good project report, your own 10% contribution and clean credit history will be needed under either scheme. See documents.
4. Consider other schemes for smaller needs. Mudra and PMEGP are running schemes. Compare them on Stand-Up India vs Mudra vs PMEGP.
5. Watch official sources for the new scheme: financialservices.gov.in, pib.gov.in and jansamarth.in.

What “first-time entrepreneur” is likely to mean

The Budget wording refers to “first-time entrepreneurs”. Stand-Up India already limits its loans to a borrower’s first venture in a sector, which the scheme calls a greenfield project. Until official guidelines for the new scheme are issued, its exact definitions, loan range, guarantee and application route are not known. Plan around Stand-Up India’s published rules, and treat anything else as unconfirmed.

When official guidelines for the new scheme are published, they will normally appear first as a PIB release and on the Department of Financial Services website. Until then, no bank or website can take applications for it, and nobody can put you on a waiting list for a fee. Your bank branch can tell you which schemes it is accepting applications under today.

How to spot fake “new scheme” offers

You may see messages or adverts offering “₹2 crore loans for women” under a new scheme. Treat them with care:

• No official application portal for the new scheme has been announced.
• Government schemes do not charge a “registration fee” through personal bank accounts or UPI IDs.
• Real loan applications end at a bank branch or an official portal ending in .gov.in or a listed official domain such as standupmitra.in or jansamarth.in.
• Never share OTPs, passwords or card details to “unlock” a loan.

If you have paid money to such an offer, report it at the national cybercrime portal, cybercrime.gov.in, or on helpline 1930.

FAQ

What is the new scheme for women and SC/ST entrepreneurs? A scheme announced in the Union Budget 2025-26 to give term loans of up to ₹2 crore to 5 lakh first-time women, SC and ST entrepreneurs over five years, with online capacity building.

Has the ₹2 crore loan scheme been launched? No launch notice or application route had been published on official pages as of 12 November 2026.

Has Stand-Up India been replaced? No. On 11 November 2026 the Cabinet approved Stand-Up India’s continuation to 31 March 2031.

Can I get ₹2 crore under Stand-Up India? No. Stand-Up India loans go up to ₹1 crore.

Where will the new scheme be announced? Watch PIB, the Department of Financial Services and JanSamarth for an official notice.

Back to the Stand-Up India overview, or read what Stand-Up India is and how the credit guarantee works. For applying under the continued scheme, see how to apply.

Last reviewed: 12 November 2026.