Schemes for women, SC/ST, OBC and student founders
11 verified programmes in the CapEasy funding directory. Every entry links to its official source.
These programmes either reserve funding for a specific group of founders or improve the terms — a higher subsidy proportion, a lower margin-money contribution, a relaxed collateral requirement. Where a general scheme and a reserved scheme both apply, the reserved one is usually the better deal on identical facts.
Eligibility here turns on documentation more than elsewhere: category certificates, shareholding thresholds, and in the case of women-led criteria, a specified proportion of ownership or control. Get those documents in order before applying, because they are the most common reason an otherwise sound application stalls.
Reviewed July 2026. Government programmes change — always confirm current eligibility, amounts and deadlines on the official programme page before applying.
Divyangjan Swavalamban Yojana (Self-Employment Loan)
KSWDC Self-Employment Term Loans for Women (General Scheme / National Corporation loans)
SITARE (Students Innovations for Translation & Advancement of Research Explorations)
Women Productisation Grant
NSRCEL Women Startup Program (Powered by Kotak BizLabs)
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NSTFDC Micro Credit Scheme for ST Self Help Groups
CM-ARISE (Chief Minister's Annal Ambedkar Resurgence of Innovative SC/ST Entrepreneurs)
Adivasi Mahila Sashaktikaran Yojana (AMSY)
NSFDC / NBCFDC / NSTFDC Term Loan (SC/ST/OBC/Minorities)
SPARSH (Social Innovation Programme)
TN SC/ST Startup Fund
CapEasy is a private consultancy and is not associated with any government programme, agency or authority. Eligibility and approval rest with the relevant authorities; we help you assess and apply, but cannot guarantee approval. Programme terms change — the official page linked from each entry is the position of record.
Questions founders ask.
Most schemes define it by ownership and control — commonly a majority shareholding held by women, and sometimes a requirement that a woman holds a key management position. The threshold is scheme-specific, so check the definition rather than assuming a standard one.
Yes, a valid certificate from the competent authority is normally required at application, not at disbursal. Sorting it out afterwards is a frequent cause of delay.
Yes — several academic and government-backed programmes fund student and early-career founders, sometimes without requiring an incorporated entity. They are listed here alongside the community schemes.