Assam is a state in northeastern India known for its lush green forests, tea plantations, and diverse culture. The state has a vibrant MSME sector that plays a crucial role in its economic growth. To support the growth of MSMEs in the state, the government of Assam has launched various loan schemes. These schemes aim to provide financial assistance and other incentives to entrepreneurs to set up or expand their businesses. The state has also taken several initiatives to boost entrepreneurship, including the establishment of incubation centres and skill development programs. In this blog, we will discuss some of the MSME loan schemes available in Assam, along with their eligibility criteria. The following is the list of top MSME loan schemes available in Assam:

Sarothi – The Start-Up Assam

Sarothi is a start-up MSME loan scheme launched by the state government of Assam to encourage the start-up ecosystem in the state. The basic objective of the scheme is to provide financial assistance in the form of a loan with Interest subvention through a designated Bank covering the whole of Assam. Following are some of its highlights:

Loan amount Up to 10 lakhs
Interest subvention 5% Interest subvention
Loan tenure Flexible, based on the project requirements
Promoter’s Margin 15% of the project cost
Target Beneficiaries New entrepreneurs in Assam

Chief ministers Atmanirbhar Asom Abhijan

Chief ministers Atmanirbhar Asom Abhijan is a flagship scheme of the state government of Assam. Through this scheme, the government aims at generating new employment opportunities by setting up entrepreneurial units across the state. Not more than one member from any family shall be eligible for availing benefits under this scheme. Following are some of its highlights:

Loan amount Up to 5 lakhs
Residence Permanent resident of Assam
Loan tenure Up to 7 years
Margin money 10% of the project cost
Age Above 28 years and below 40 years

Credit Linked Capital Subsidy Scheme (CLCSS)

Credit Linked Capital Subsidy Scheme was launched in October 2000 by the Government of India. This scheme provides necessary funds to MSMEs for upgrading their existing technologies. Enterprises can use this scheme to upgrade their existing plant and machinery and increase profit. This scheme has no upper loan limit, but the subsidy is calculated on the loan amount sanctioned for P&M purchase only. The following are its main features:

Loan amount No upper limit
Subsidy 15% of the loan amount
Annual guarantee fee 0.75%-1.0%
Loan tenure Flexible tenure depending upon the repayment capacity

Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY)

The Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY) is a flagship central government scheme launched in 2015. It provides micro-loans to non-corporate, non-farm micro and small enterprises in both rural and urban areas.

PMMY offers loans under three categories, depending on the stages of business growth and funding needs:

  • Shishu Mudra: Up to Rs. 50,000
  • Kishore Mudra: Rs. 50,001 to Rs. 5 lakh
  • Tarun Mudra: Rs. 5 lakh to Rs. 10 lakh

MUDRA loans are availed through various financial institutions, including Public sector banks, Private sector banks, Regional Rural Banks, Small Finance Banks, Microfinance Institutions, and Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs).

Unlike other loan schemes, PMMY doesn’t have specific criteria for age, gender, tenure, interest rates, etc. All these factors can vary based on the category of the loan and the policies of the lending institution.

Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP)

PMEGP is a credit-linked subsidy scheme administered by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), which aims at creating job opportunities by establishing micro-enterprises. The main target of this scheme is Women, Traditional and prospective artisans and Unemployed youth. The following are some of its main features:

Age Minimum age of 18
Interest rate Between 11% -12% depending on the bank
Loan tenure 3-7 years
Education qualification VIII standard pass
Maximum Loan amount Rs. 1 Crore
Subsidy 15% to 35%

Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE).

CGTMSE is a joint initiative launched in 2000 by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), the Government of India, and the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI). It encourages financial institutions to provide collateral-free credit schemes to micro and small enterprises. In case of any default, the bank can file a claim with CGTMSE. The following are some of its main features:

Loan amount Up to 5 crore
Collateral Not required
Loan tenure 5-10 years
Annual Guarantee fee 0.37%-1.35%
Age Minimum age of 18

Stand-up India

Stand-up India is a central government scheme launched in 2016. It provides bank loans for entrepreneurship among women and members of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). Existing businesses cannot avail loans through this scheme, as these are provided for starting new businesses. These loans are provided through various banks, including scheduled commercial banks, regional rural banks (RRBs), and small finance banks.

This scheme provides loan amounts ranging from Rs. 10 lakhs to Rs. 1 crore. The interest rates and tenure vary depending on the nature of the business and other factors such as the nature of the business, credit policies of the lender, etc.

SIDBI Make in India Soft Loan Fund for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (SMILE)

SMILE is a scheme launched by the central government to provide financial assistance to 25 Identified sectors under the ‘Make in India’ initiative. This scheme promotes the ‘Make in India’ initiative among entrepreneurs. SMILE provides adequate funding for the setting up of new enterprises and also for the expansion of existing ones. The following are some of its main features:

Loan tenure Maximum 10 years
Loan amount From Rs.10 lakhs to Rs.25 lakhs
Interest rates Depending on enterprises’ requirement
Nature of loan Quasi-equity and term loans

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