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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GLOBAL RESEARCH INNOVATIONS & TECHNOLOGY (IJGRIT) [ Vol. 4 | No. 2(II) | April - June, 2026 ]

The Stand-Up India Scheme: An Analysis of Entrepreneurship, Employment Generation, and Inclusive Economic Development

Dr. Sanjay A. Pandya

In a developing country like India, the growing population represents a vast human resource on the one hand, while on the other it poses challenges such as unemployment and economic inequality due to limited employment opportunities. In this context, promoting entrepreneurship has become essential for the effective utilization of human resources. The establishment of new enterprises not only generates self-employment but also creates additional employment opportunities, thereby contributing to economic development. To achieve this objective, the Stand-Up India Scheme, launched by the Government of India, seeks to promote inclusive development by providing bank loans to Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and women entrepreneurs for establishing greenfield enterprises. This research paper examines the key provisions, progress, and contribution of the Stand-Up India Scheme to entrepreneurship development and employment generation. The study is based on secondary data, using original reports and other reliable sources. It also presents a SWOC (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Challenges) analysis of the scheme. The findings indicate that the scheme has made a significant contribution to promoting entrepreneurship among women and socially disadvantaged groups, generating employment, and enhancing financial inclusion. However, challenges such as limited awareness, procedural complexities, delays in loan approval, the gap between sanctioned and disbursed loan amounts, and inadequate business mentoring continue to affect its effectiveness. Therefore, simplifying the lending process, expanding awareness campaigns, and strengthening continuous mentoring and support mechanisms are essential to improve the overall impact of the scheme.

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