MP Satnam Singh Sandhu raises SC/ST loan issue; Centre says 1,418 Entrepreneurs in Punjab benefited under Stand-Up India Scheme
Babushahi Bureau
New Delhi, July 28, 2026: The Union Government has informed Parliament that 1,418 Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) entrepreneurs in Punjab received loans under the Stand-Up India Scheme between 2021-22 and 2024-25, following a question raised by Rajya Sabha MP Satnam Singh Sandhu during the ongoing Monsoon Session.
In a written reply, Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Shobha Karandlaje said the loans were sanctioned under the Stand-Up India Scheme, launched in 2016 to provide bank loans ranging from ₹10 lakh to ₹1 crore to SC/ST and women entrepreneurs for setting up greenfield enterprises in manufacturing, services, trading and allied agricultural sectors.
Responding to MP Sandhu's query, the Minister said 153 SC/ST entrepreneurs received loans in 2021-22, 321 in 2022-23, 327 in 2023-24 and 617 in 2024-25, taking the total to 1,418 beneficiaries in Punjab over four years.
The Minister also informed the House that Punjab has 3,498 rural bank branches, 47 Financial Literacy Centres (FLCs) and 51 Centres for Financial Literacy (CFLs). During 2025-26, these institutions organised 37,528 financial literacy camps, attended by over 6.35 lakh participants across the state's rural districts.
On collateral-free financing for SC/ST entrepreneurs, Karandlaje said the government is implementing the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE), which provides enhanced guarantee coverage of up to 85 per cent and a 10 per cent concession in guarantee fees for enterprises led by SC/ST entrepreneurs. She added that banks are also being sensitised through State Level Bankers' Committee (SLBC) meetings to facilitate easier access to collateral-free loans.
Reacting to the reply, MP Satnam Singh Sandhu said the Stand-Up India Scheme has played a significant role in promoting entrepreneurship among underserved communities. He noted that more than 5,710 loans have been sanctioned in Punjab under the scheme, with nearly 25 per cent going to SC/ST entrepreneurs.
Sandhu said the initiative has enabled aspiring entrepreneurs to establish businesses in manufacturing, trading, services and agriculture-related sectors while improving access to affordable institutional credit and generating employment opportunities.