Kayaka Spoorthi Scheme — ₹2.5L for Karnataka Women's Leather SHGs — Frequently Asked Questions

It funds women's Self-Help Groups that work in the leather trade. The assistance is meant to let members either start a leather-related business or expand one they are already running, so that they can move towards self-employment and financial independence.

A group of 10 women receives ₹2,50,000 in total. That works out to ₹15,000 in subsidy plus ₹10,000 as a loan for each member, or ₹1,50,000 in subsidy and ₹1,00,000 in loan for the group as a whole.

It is a mix of the first two. The ₹15,000 per member arrives as a subsidy and does not have to be returned, while the ₹10,000 per member is a loan from LIDKAR that has to be repaid. No equity or ownership share in the business is taken.

The applicant must be a Self-Help Group of at least 10 women artisans, all aged 18 or above. Members need to belong to the notified Scheduled Caste sub-castes covered by the scheme — Arundathiyar, Chammadiya, Chamar, Madar and Mochi — and the group's work must be in the leather sector.

Yes. Annual family income must not exceed ₹30,000 in rural areas or ₹25,000 in urban areas.

No. Applicants should not have received benefits from any other government scheme, with training programmes being the single exception. The scheme also requires that no family member is employed in a government or semi-government job.

There is no fixed last date. Applications under the Kayaka Spoorthi Scheme are treated as rolling, so a group can apply at any point during the year.

Applications are made online through Karnataka's Seva Sindhu Portal. Register as a new user with Aadhaar details and OTP verification to create a DigiLocker account, complete your profile with email, mobile number and password, then log in. Under 'Department & Services' choose 'Social Welfare Department' and then 'Kayaka Spoorthi Scheme', click 'Apply Online', fill in the required personal, address and banking details, and submit. You will receive an Application ID to track the application.

Portal registration requires Aadhaar details for OTP verification and a DigiLocker account, along with your email ID, mobile number and a password. The application form asks for personal, address and banking details. During screening, officials check caste certificates, income proof against the rural or urban ceiling, and the composition of the Self-Help Group.

The Social Welfare Department and LIDKAR officials first screen applications to confirm eligibility, looking at caste certificates, income limits and SHG composition. Eligible groups may then go through a detailed evaluation of the leatherwork activity they proposed, after which a selection committee reviews the viability of the project and the impact it is likely to have.

No. DPIIT (Startup India) recognition is not listed as a mandatory requirement for Kayaka Spoorthi Scheme — ₹2.5L for Karnataka Women's Leather SHGs, though having it can strengthen your application and unlock other benefits.

Kayaka Spoorthi Scheme — ₹2.5L for Karnataka Women's Leather SHGs is offered by Karnataka State Leather Industries Development Corporation (LIDKAR), a government body. It is provided as non-dilutive funding.