Mahila Udyam Nidhi (MUN) — Up to ₹9 Lakh for Women Entrepreneurs in Puducherry — Frequently Asked Questions

The maximum project the scheme will consider costs ₹10,00,000. On that, PIPDIC sanctions a term loan covering 65% of project cost and seed capital covering 25%, which together come to ₹9,00,000 — that is 90% of the outlay. The remaining 10% of project cost has to be put in by the promoter.

No. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, which means the window stays open throughout the year. You can apply as soon as your project is ready, rather than waiting for a particular intake date.

The applicant must be a woman entrepreneur who is setting up a new Small Scale Industrial unit or a service activity in Puducherry, with a proposed project cost of no more than ₹10,00,000. The promoter also needs to be in a position to contribute 10% of the project cost from her own side.

No. MUN is debt financing — a term loan plus seed capital, both of which are repayable. There is no equity stake or ownership dilution involved for the promoter.

You pay a concessional rate that is 0.5% lower than the normal interest rate PIPDIC charges on its loans. There is also a 50% concession on investigation fees, which reduces what you spend upfront before disbursement.

Yes, security is taken in the form of immovable property, but the requirement is eased for women. The value of the immovable property you offer as security is fixed at 50% of the loan amount, rather than the higher value that standard lending norms would demand.

The term loan runs for 6 to 8 years and includes a moratorium of 1 to 2 years, so repayments do not begin immediately after the unit starts operating. The seed capital component is repaid over a longer period of 10 years.

The application fee is ₹100 for loans of up to ₹25 lakh and ₹200 for loans above ₹25 lakh. Online payments are routed through a payment summary page, and once the transaction succeeds a receipt is generated — print it or save it as a PDF, since you will want it later.

Everything is handled on the PIPDIC portal at https://pipdic.in/pipdic_schemes. Click "Login" and then "New customer", and register with a username, email ID, password and captcha. An OTP arrives on your registered email to complete login, after which you fill in your profile under "Edit Profile" and submit it. From the dashboard, open the "Applications" tab — a pop-up sets out the general terms and conditions, interest rates, investigation fees and collateral norms. After confirming you have the documents ready and clicking "I Agree", you complete the multi-step application form, accept the declaration, and submit. You are then asked for the bio-data of the promoter, partner or director and to upload KYC and supporting documents. Pay the application fee, then download and keep the receipt.

Before the application form opens up, the portal makes you confirm that your documents are in order. At the bio-data stage you are asked for the promoter, partner or director bio-data along with all necessary KYC and supporting documents, which are uploaded through the portal's file-chooser.

The scheme's wording refers to a woman entrepreneur running a Small Scale Industrial unit or service activity, and does not restrict itself to a particular legal form. In practice, incorporated and unincorporated businesses that qualify as SSI units — private limited companies, LLPs, OPCs, partnerships and proprietorships — are generally understood to be covered, as long as a woman leads the venture.

It applies to units and activities being established in Puducherry. PIPDIC is the Pondicherry Industrial Promotion Development and Investment Corporation Limited, and it operates the scheme alongside the Department of Industries & Commerce, Puducherry.

No. DPIIT (Startup India) recognition is not listed as a mandatory requirement for Mahila Udyam Nidhi (MUN) — Up to ₹9 Lakh for Women Entrepreneurs in Puducherry, though having it can strengthen your application and unlock other benefits.

Mahila Udyam Nidhi (MUN) — Up to ₹9 Lakh for Women Entrepreneurs in Puducherry is offered by Pondicherry Industrial Promotion Development and Investment Corporation (PIPDIC), a government body. It is provided as non-dilutive funding.