Union Budget 2025: Entrepreneurship loans announced to boost financial independence of women
The Union Budget for 2025-26 presented on Saturday (February 1, 2025) focusses on enhancing financial independence of women and providing them an enabling atmosphere to work. The aim was get 70% women in economic activities, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman mentioned in the Budget speech. The total allocation for the Women and Child Development Ministry is ₹26,889 crore. This is an increase from a Revised Estimate of ₹23,182 last year. The allocation in the last budget had been ₹26,092 crore. In order to facilitate financial independence for women, the budget also announced a new scheme under which five lakh women would be provided entrepreneurship loans of up to two crore for the next five years.
The scheme will incorporate lessons from the successful Stand-Up India scheme. Online capacity building for entrepreneurship and managerial skills will also be organised. Ms. Sitharaman also announced that the cost norms for the nutritional support under the Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 programme would be enhanced appropriately.
In fact, of the entire outlay, one of the biggest allocations is for Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, which has received ₹21,960 crore.
Both the schemes provide nutritional support to more than eight crore children, one crore pregnant women and lactating mothers all over the country, and about 20 lakh adolescent girls in aspirational districts and the north-east region.
Mission Vatsalya, which focuses on child protection services, has seen an increase to ₹1,500 crore from ₹1,391 crore last year. For women’s empowerment, Mission Shakti has been allocated ₹3,150 crore, with two major components — Sambal and Samarthya — continuing to receive significant funding.
The Sambal scheme, which includes initiatives such as Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, One Stop Centres, Nari Adalats, Women’s Helpline, and Mahila Police Volunteers, has been allocated ₹629 crore, while Samarthya, which covers programmes like Swadhar Greh for women in distress, the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, Working Women’s Hostels, and the National Crèche Scheme, has been allotted ₹2,521 crore.
The budget interventions were largely welcomed by women’s organisations and industry bodies.
“The government’s commitment to women-centric initiatives like Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 is a testament to the transformative power of investing in people. Additionally, the focus on MSMEs as the second engine of growth will empower businesses to scale, innovate, and create more jobs,” Ritvika Naidu, Director, Prabhu Naidu Limited, which employs a large number of women, said.
Source: The Hindu
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