Aatmanirbhar Gujarat EPF Reimbursement — Up to ₹1,800/Month per Hire

The Industries and Mines Department, Government of Gujarat operates this component within the wider Aatmanirbhar Gujarat Scheme for assistance to Large Industries and Thrust Sector. Under it, the state returns the provident fund amount an employer has to contribute for staff it has freshly recruited at qualifying large industrial units in Gujarat.

The scheme remains in force from October 5, 2022 to October 4, 2027. A unit's entry point is the day it begins commercial production inside that window, and the support can then run for as long as 10 years from that date — turning a recurring payroll obligation into a long-term, predictable relief.

The logic behind the reimbursement is simple: by absorbing a slice of manpower cost, the state nudges large manufacturers to expand and to keep adding formal, PF-covered jobs in Gujarat. It sits within the state's broader push for self-reliance in industry, alongside the investor onboarding handled through Gujarat's Investor Facilitation Portal (IFP).

• Reimburses 100% of the employer's EPF contribution for newly hired employees
• Capped at ₹1,800 per month per employee, or 12% of basic + DA + retaining allowance, whichever is less
• Payable for up to 10 years from the start of commercial production
• Open to new large industrial undertakings and to existing ones expanding or diversifying in Gujarat
• Requires DPIIT acknowledgment/registration and employees with no prior UAN
• Scheme window and application deadline: October 4, 2027

Two broad things need to line up — the undertaking itself and the people it hires.

About the undertaking

• It must be a new large industrial undertaking, or an existing large undertaking that is expanding and/or diversifying.
• DPIIT acknowledgment or registration, as applicable, must have been obtained.
• It must be based in Gujarat and begin commercial production between October 5, 2022 and October 4, 2027, the scheme's operative window.

About the employees

• A new employee is one who did not hold a Universal Account Number (UAN) before joining the undertaking.
• The undertaking must not have taken EPF reimbursement under any other central or state government scheme for the same period.

Aatmanirbhar Gujarat EPF Reimbursement — Up to ₹1,800/Month per Hire is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.

Applications for Aatmanirbhar Gujarat EPF Reimbursement — Up to ₹1,800/Month per Hire are open and the current deadline is 4 Oct 2027. Deadlines can change — always reconfirm on the official source before submitting.

• 100% reimbursement of the employer's provident fund contribution for every eligible new employee hired by the undertaking.
• Per-employee ceiling: the payout is limited to 12% of basic salary plus Dearness Allowance (DA) and retaining allowance, or ₹1,800 a month, whichever is less.
• Duration of up to 10 years, counted from the day commercial production begins — sustained relief rather than a one-time grant.
• Lower recurring manpower cost, which makes it easier to keep adding PF-covered staff and to plan hiring over the long term.
• The benefit comes bundled with the state's regulatory and investor-facilitation support, with the entire process routed through the Investor Facilitation Portal (IFP).

Aatmanirbhar Gujarat EPF Reimbursement — Up to ₹1,800/Month per Hire is offered by Industries and Mines Department, Government of Gujarat, a government body. As a government-backed subsidy, it is publicly funded and open to eligible startups across India.

1. Initial screening — the department first checks the application against the scheme's criteria, including whether the undertaking holds the required DPIIT acknowledgment/registration and whether commercial production began within the operative window of October 5, 2022 to October 4, 2027.

2. Reimbursement processing — applications that clear screening are taken forward for disbursement, subject to verification of the new employees and their EPF contributions in line with statutory norms.

Before you apply to Aatmanirbhar Gujarat EPF Reimbursement — Up to ₹1,800/Month per Hire, 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.