Aamar Dukan On Wheels — Assam Grant for Mobile Retail Youth

Aamar Dukan On Wheels is a livelihood scheme run by the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, Government of Assam. It gives jobless young people with a formal education the chance to operate their own mobile retail shop, taking everyday essentials to customers' doorsteps instead of waiting for buyers to walk into a store.

The unit itself is built around an eco-friendly E-rickshaw, which serves as the moving shop floor. Each operator is expected to carry a GPS-enabled smartphone and a Bluetooth billing printer, a combination that pushes the business towards cashless payments and makes transactions traceable.

The scheme is a new module that extends the state's existing Aamar Dukan initiative. Stock consists of essential non-PDS items, which beneficiaries sell below MRP — so households get relief on daily prices while the operator still books a working margin on every sale.

Two objectives sit behind the design. The first is price control: by removing middlemen from the chain, the state wants essential commodities to reach consumers at reasonable rates. The second is employment — the scheme converts unemployed youth into self-employed micro-retailers, which is where its wider economic-empowerment pitch comes from.

Applications are accepted on a rolling, always-open basis. There is no single central deadline; instead, Deputy Commissioners, Sub-Divisional Officers and the Principal Secretaries of all Autonomous Councils invite applications from eligible youth in their areas from time to time.

• Financial aid from the Government of Assam to set up a mobile retail unit
• Operators keep a margin of ₹2.00 to ₹3.00 per kg or per litre on sales
• Open to educated, unemployed youth who are permanent residents of Assam, aged 18+
• Runs on eco-friendly E-rickshaws with GPS smartphones and Bluetooth billing printers
• No fixed deadline — applications are invited on a rolling basis
• Calls for applications are issued by Deputy Commissioners, Sub-Divisional Officers and Autonomous Council Principal Secretaries

Eligibility under Aamar Dukan On Wheels is assessed on the individual, not on a company. To qualify, an applicant must meet all of the following:

• Unemployment status: the candidate must be an educated but unemployed young person looking for a livelihood.
• Domicile: permanent residency in Assam is mandatory.
• Age: the applicant must have completed 18 years.
• Employment Exchange registration: the candidate's name has to be on the Employment Exchange register.
• Education: the minimum qualification is HSLC or its equivalent.

Because this is an individual-level livelihood scheme rather than a business-funding programme, there is no requirement disclosed for a registered company, a particular entity type, a sector restriction or DPIIT/MSME recognition. The selection committee also weighs any prior experience and the applicant's financial condition, so a weaker financial background can work in a candidate's favour.

Aamar Dukan On Wheels — Assam Grant for Mobile Retail Youth is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.

Aamar Dukan On Wheels — Assam Grant for Mobile Retail Youth accepts applications on a rolling basis — there is no fixed cut-off date, so eligible startups can apply at any time. Because rolling programmes can pause without notice, confirm the window is still open on the official site before you start.

Financial aid for setup and early operations

Selected beneficiaries receive financial assistance from the state to establish and begin running their Aamar Dukan on Wheels unit. Under normal, compliant operations this aid is non-repayable. It only becomes repayable — with interest — if the beneficiary breaches the scheme's rules or fails to follow official directions.

A built-in earning margin

Operators are permitted to keep a margin of ₹2.00 to ₹3.00 per kg or per litre on the commodities they sell to consumers. That margin is the operator's core income stream and is what makes the mobile unit commercially sustainable.

Operational and regulatory hand-holding

The scheme does not leave beneficiaries to figure out the business alone. Support covers:

• a designated area of operation and an operating schedule set by local authorities;
• sourcing of commodities from selected wholesalers or stockists, as directed by those authorities;
• guidance on maintaining stock books and distribution registers, and on displaying price boards for inspection.

Direct market access

Because goods are delivered to customers' doorsteps, beneficiaries get immediate access to a consumer market without needing a fixed shopfront, and can build a repeat customer base over time. The package also connects operators into the local supply and distribution network.

Aamar Dukan On Wheels — Assam Grant for Mobile Retail Youth is offered by Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, Government of Assam, a government body. As a government-backed grant, it is publicly funded and open to eligible startups across India.

Applications move through a locally administered, merit-based process:

1. Call for applications: Deputy Commissioners, Sub-Divisional Officers and the Principal Secretaries of all Autonomous Councils invite applications from eligible unemployed youth in their jurisdictions.
2. Submission: interested candidates send in their applications following the instructions issued by those local authorities.
3. Scrutiny and merit evaluation: a committee reviews each application against three factors — the applicant's educational qualification, any relevant past experience that could help them run the business, and their overall financial condition.
4. Selection of beneficiaries: suitable candidates are chosen on merit and become beneficiaries authorised to operate the mobile retail units.

There is no fixed central cut-off date for this cycle; intake is rolling and driven by the local invitation.

Before you apply to Aamar Dukan On Wheels — Assam Grant for Mobile Retail Youth, keep the following documents ready:

• A pitch deck or short business plan describing the problem, product and traction
• Company registration documents and PAN
• Founder identification (PAN / Aadhaar) and brief profiles
• Recent financial statements or projections
• Product details — a demo, prototype or working link if available

Exact requirements are confirmed on the official application portal — treat this as a preparation checklist.