Five years after the Stand Up India scheme was launched by the government to promote entrepreneurship among women, Scheduled Castes (SC) & Scheduled Tribes (ST), banks have sanctioned more than Rs. 25,000 crore to over 1.14 lakh accounts, the Finance Ministry said on Sunday.

As per the scheme, bank loans between Rs. 10 lakh and Rs. 1 crore are routed to at least one SC or ST borrower, and at least one woman borrower, by each branch of the scheduled commercial banks. Official data suggest that women-led enterprises have dominated the sanctions so far under the scheme, which has now been extended till 2025.

“Rs. 25,586 crore has been sanctioned under the Stand Up India Scheme to over 1,14,322 accounts up to 23.03.2021 since its inception,” the Ministry said.