Ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the Uttar Pradesh government, led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, announced a major financial initiative for women in the state, under which Rs 1 lakh will be provided to each of one crore women. This amount will be given to women in three instalments without interest. As per reports, this proposed Uttar Pradesh Mahila Udyami Credit Yojana will give credit in three stages, with the total benefit going up to Rs 1 lakh.
Notably, Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya announced the interest free loan scheme up to Rs 1 lakh for women. He said one crore women will get loans to expand small businesses and existing enterprises.
He said there is preparations to provide ‘ID cards’ to connect women groups with digital facilities. The ID card will provide features like digital payments, digital marketing and online sales. He said instructions have been given for setting up of ‘Mahila Shakti Kendras
Know all about three instalments
The first instalment is expected to be Rs 20,000, and the women beneficiaries who repay it on time would become eligible for a second tranche of Rs 30,000, followed by a third tranche of Rs 50,000 after they repay the second amount.
It is interesting to note that the proposed credit scheme comes amid political attention on financial support for women ahead of the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. There were earlier speculations about the government providing Rs 50,000 in financial assistance to women, although no such announcement had been officially made.
Notably, the UP government is preparing this scheme just ahead of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. The initiative will be linked to women associated with the Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission (UPSRLM), which was announced in the state’s Budget for 2026-27.
Keshav Prasad Maurya directs officials to prepare the proposal
In this regard, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya directed officials to prepare the proposal, and a high-level meeting of the Rural Development Department was held at Yojana Bhawan to review the preparations for the scheme.
As part of the proposed scheme, eligible women are expected to receive a special credit card that can be used to start a small business or expand an existing enterprise, reports said.
Banks have been asked to prepare a preliminary framework for the facility, while the Rural Development Department is working on the formal proposal, reports added.
UP govt plans to strengthen digital capabilities of women linked to SHGs
Moreover, the state government is planning to strengthen the digital capabilities of women linked to self-help groups. In this regard, the state government has directed officials to explore digital identification cards with QR code features and greater integration with digital payments, online marketing, e-commerce, and financial services.
The prime objective is to help women move beyond traditional self-help group activities and build sustainable micro-enterprises. Apart from this, the UP government is also considering the establishment of 100 Mahila Shakti Kendras.
