The government launched the PM SVANidhi Scheme in 2020 to support street vendors impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Under this scheme, the government provides working capital loans at a low-interest rate, interest subsidy and encourages digital transactions.
Read on to know more about the PM SVANidhi Scheme, its eligibility, benefits and application process.
Latest Update
The Union Cabinet has approved for restructuring the PM SVANidhi Scheme with enhanced loan amount limits and digital cashback incentives. Further, the lending period under this scheme has also been extended till 31 March 2030.
Street vendors were among the worst affected during the COVID-19 pandemic due to prolonged lockdowns and loss of income. To help them resume their businesses, the Government of India launched the PM Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Scheme in June 2020. The scheme provides collateral-free working capital loans, interest subsidies and incentives for digital transactions.
In 2025, the Union Cabinet approved the restructuring of the PM SVANidhi Scheme by enhancing loan limits, increasing digital cashback incentives and introducing a UPI-enabled RuPay Credit Card with a credit limit of ₹30,000 for eligible beneficiaries.
The scheme has also been extended till 31 March 2030 with a total outlay of ₹7,332 crore and aims to benefit around 1.15 crore street vendors, including approximately 50 lakh new beneficiaries. Under the revised scheme:
The PM SVANidhi scheme is available to every street vendor working in urban areas. It will be expanded to census towns and peri-urban areas in a graded manner. The beneficiaries under this scheme will be identified according to the following criteria:
Follow the below process to apply for a working capital loan under the PM SVANidhi Scheme:
You can also apply loans under the PM SVANidhi scheme by visiting the Common Service Centres (CSCs). They will help you to fill up the application form and submit it with the required documents.
The KYC documents required to apply for loans are as follows:
The following are the benefits provided to the urban street vendors under the PM SVANidhi scheme:
Eligible street vendors can avail collateral-free working capital loans with a repayment tenure of one year in monthly instalments.
The revised loan structure under the PM SVANidhi Scheme is:
| Loan Cycle | Maximum Loan Amount |
| First Loan | ₹15,000 |
| Second Loan | ₹30,000 |
| Third Loan | ₹50,000 |
Street vendors who repay their loans on time become eligible for the next loan cycle with a higher credit limit. No prepayment penalty is charged for early repayment.
In the case of Scheduled Commercial Banks, Small Finance Banks (SFBs), Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), Cooperative Banks and Self-Help Group (SHG) Banks, the rate of interest will be as per their prevailing rates of interest.
In the case of Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC), Non-Banking Financial Company-Micro Finance Institution (NBFC-MFIs), etc., the interest rates will be as per the RBI guidelines for the respective lender category.
In respect of MFIs (non-NBFC) and other lender categories that are not covered under the RBI guidelines, the interest rates would be applicable as per the extent of the RBI guidelines for NBFC-MFIs.
The street vendors who avail of WC loan under the scheme can get an interest subsidy at 7%. The interest subsidy amount is credited to the borrower’s account quarterly. The interest subsidy is available on first and the subsequent enhanced loan up to that date.
This scheme provides an incentive for adopting digital transactions by street vendors through the cash-back facility. The network of lending institutions and the digital payment aggregators such as Paytm, NPCI (for BHIM), GooglePay, AmazonPay, BharatPay, PhonePe, etc., will help to onboard the vendors for digital transactions.
The onboarded vendors will receive incentives in the form of an enhanced monthly digital cashback incentives as notified under the revised PM SVANidhi Scheme for eligible vendors adopting digital transactions.
UPI-linked RUPAY Credit Card will be provided to street vendors. They can use this card and get immediate access to credit with a ₹30,000 limit. This card will help them to meet any urgent business and personal requirements. It is provided for those street vendors who have repaid the second loan taken under this scheme.
This scheme concentrates on building the capacity of the street vendors by focusing on financial literacy, entrepreneurship, digital skills and marketing through convergence. Training would be conducted for street vendors on standard hygiene and food safety, in partnership with FSSAI.
Under this scheme, the ‘SVANidhi se Samriddhi’ component will be strengthened through monthly Lok Kalyan Melas. This ensures holistic welfare and development of the street vendors and their families.
The PM SVANidhi Scheme continues to strengthen the livelihoods of street vendors by providing collateral-free working capital loans, interest subsidies, digital payment incentives and access to formal credit. With the scheme now extended till 31 March 2030 and enhanced loan limits under the revised framework, eligible vendors can continue to expand their businesses while building a stronger financial future.