Top 5 government loan schemes for business owners in 2025 | Mint

The Indian government has a variety of credit schemes aimed at supporting small business owners and entrepreneurs in many industries. The scheme is intended to empower prospective entrepreneurs, spur economic growth, and generate employment. 

It is aimed at the microcredit that small businesses use to start off, finance, and grow huge corporations and the significant finance available for new business ventures. Here are some of the major government loan schemes available for Indian entrepreneurs to tap into.

Benefits of government schemes

Government lending programs are attractive to business owners as they offer several advantages.

Below, five of the most popular loan programs that will help entrepreneurs reach their financial goals are explained in detail:

1. MSME loan scheme: This program has a goal to extend loans for working capital to MSMEs.

• Loan amount: The amount of loan can go up to as high as ₹1 crore.
• Rate of interest: As low as 8%.
• Processing time: Approximately 8–12 days.

This is an excellent program for someone who needs relatively affordable financing and is open to new as well as established businesses.

2. Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY): PMMY gives micro and small enterprises finance collateral-free, so it is perfectly suited for the women entrepreneurs, service providers, and small dealers. Key advantages include no collateral and flexible payback periods. The target customer is the small business owner who is either unbanked or underbanked. Such initiatives support companies that were previously barred from accessing financial services, thereby stimulating inclusive economic growth.

3. National Small Industries Corporation: NSIC supports the entrepreneurs with the help of finance, marketing, as well as technology support.

Key initiatives:

• Marketing support scheme: Assists the firms with consortium plans, tender marketing, and other marketing-related activities.
• Credit support scheme: Extends credit support for marketing, raw materials, and other working capital requirements.

NSIC is one of the best government schemes for small enterprises and is very well known.

4. Credit-Linked Capital Subsidy Scheme: This scheme offers subsidized financing to firms that are looking to update their technology. All sectors of manufacturing, marketing, supply chain management, and more are eligible for this scheme. Cooperatives, private or public limited businesses, partnerships, and sole proprietorships are eligible to apply under this scheme. For business owners who wish to enhance productivity and make the processes more modern, CLCSS is the best.

5. SIDBI Loan: MSMEs can take direct or indirect loans from the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI).

• Loan amount: Between 10 lakhs to 25 crores.
• Repayment period: Up to 10 years.
• Special feature: No collateral is required for loans up to ₹1 crore.

The loan products of SIDBI are suitable for those companies which need big money to be generated or stabilized.

In conclusion, through government loan programs, companies can be provided with funds and loans that are necessary for developing, going a step further, and even adding jobs. All these require thorough research to fully understand the terms of every program, the qualifications needed, and the process of application. Business owners can strategically use these programs to attain the capital necessary to meet their set objectives and help support the general growth of the economy of the nation.

(Note: Raising a loan comes with its own risks. So, due caution is advised)