Scheme for SC Small Business Owners in Gujarat — ₹10L Loan + ₹15,000 Subsidy — Frequently Asked Questions

The package is made up of three parts. You can borrow up to ₹10 lakh to buy a shop or business premises in an urban area, you receive a direct subsidy of ₹15,000 that does not need to be repaid, and the government covers bank interest above 4% for three years. The overall ceiling shown for the scheme is ₹10.2 lakh.

Applicants must be natives of Gujarat and must belong to the Scheduled Caste category. There is no income limit, so your earnings are not a bar. Within the eligible pool, preference goes to educated unemployed applicants, unemployed mill workers, people with technical or professional experience, and those who are already self-employed.

No. The scheme does not apply an income ceiling, so a higher-earning applicant is not disqualified on that ground. Eligibility turns on your Scheduled Caste status, your Gujarat domicile, the purpose for which the money is used, and the security you can provide.

The scheme's stated conditions do not mention DPIIT recognition or MSME registration. Eligibility is built around your caste category, your Gujarat domicile and the property you intend to buy, along with the security requirement — those are the criteria that decide the application.

It is a debt scheme. The main component is a loan that has to be repaid, and it sits alongside a ₹15,000 subsidy that does not. The government does not take any equity or ownership stake in your business in return for the assistance.

The money can go towards one shop or place of business at a single location, in an urban area, and it cannot be split across multiple properties. Premises allotted on long-term rent by state government bodies also qualify, as does construction on land you already own — provided the title is clear and the land is recorded as 'uncultivated'. The property has to comply with the applicable land and construction rules.

Yes. You must arrange security from a maximum of two local persons who own immovable property worth the full loan amount. Separately, if the shop or premises has been allotted by a state body, that property itself has to be mortgaged to the government until the loan is fully repaid.

You bear interest up to 4%, and the government pays the bank interest above that rate for a period of three years. If you default on the loan or on the interest, penal interest is charged.

Applications are made online through the e-Samaj Kalyan portal at https://esamajkalyan.gujarat.gov.in/. Register as a new user under 'Citizen Login' using your Aadhaar, personal and caste details, then log in and complete your user profile. Select the scheme from the home page to open the application form, fill in the required details, upload the necessary documents, accept the terms and conditions, and click 'Save Application'. Submit it and print a copy — note down the application number so you can track the status later.

There is no fixed deadline. The scheme is open on a rolling basis, so applications can be submitted at any time during the year rather than against a single closing date.

Scheme for SC Small Business Owners in Gujarat — ₹10L Loan + ₹15,000 Subsidy is offered by Social Justice and Empowerment Department, Government of Gujarat, a government body. It is provided as non-dilutive funding.