PM SVANidhi — Loans of ₹15,000 to ₹50,000 for Street Vendors — Frequently Asked Questions

PM SVANidhi, short for PM Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi, is a central sector scheme of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India. Launched on 1 June 2020, it gives street vendors access to working capital loans with no collateral, an interest subsidy and incentives for accepting digital payments.

The loan is released in three tranches. The first tranche gives you up to ₹15,000, repayable within 12 months. The second goes up to ₹25,000, repayable within 18 months. The third tranche goes up to ₹50,000, repayable within 36 months. You become eligible for each next tranche after repaying the previous one on time or early.

Eligibility is tied to your status as a street vendor. You qualify if you hold a Certificate of Vending or Identity Card from an Urban Local Body, or if you were identified in the ULB survey but have not received that certificate yet. Vendors who were left out of the survey, or who started vending after it, are also covered if the ULB or Town Vending Committee issues them a Letter of Recommendation. Vendors from surrounding development, peri-urban or rural areas who sell within a ULB's limits also qualify with an LoR.

No. PM SVANidhi runs on a rolling basis, so applications are always open and there is no fixed deadline to beat.

You get a subsidy of 7% per annum on the loan amount. It is credited directly into your bank account every quarter. Two conditions apply: your account must be standard and not classified as an NPA, and the subsidy stays available only up to 31 March 2033.

No. PM SVANidhi is a debt scheme — the money comes to you as a working capital loan that you repay in instalments. No equity or ownership share in your business is taken by the government or the lending institution.

No. The scheme's eligibility rules do not require DPIIT recognition or MSME registration. What matters is your vending status and a supporting document — a Certificate of Vending or Identity Card issued by a ULB, or a Letter of Recommendation from the ULB or Town Vending Committee.

You will need to establish your identity and vending activity, so keep your Certificate of Vending or Identity Card, or your Letter of Recommendation, on hand. Your mobile phone should be linked to your Aadhaar number so that e-KYC and Aadhaar validation can be completed. It also helps to read the Loan Application Form (LAF) and the scheme guidelines beforehand, confirm your eligibility, and identify which of the four vendor categories you belong to, since the exact documents depend on that category. Online applicants also need their Survey Reference Number (SRN).

Both routes are available. Online, you go to the PM SVANidhi portal at https://pmsvanidhi.mohua.gov.in/, click "Log In", enter your mobile number and the captcha, and request an OTP. Once logged in, select a valid vendor category, enter your mandatory Survey Reference Number, fill the application form, upload the relevant documents and submit. Offline, you work through the Loan Application Form and scheme guidelines, prepare your documents, get your Aadhaar-linked mobile ready for e-KYC, and gather the category-specific paperwork before submitting through the official channel.

Your application goes to the concerned Urban Local Body and the designated lending institution. They verify that you are an eligible street vendor by checking your identity and confirming your vending activity through documents such as a Certificate of Vending or a Letter of Recommendation. Approval and disbursement then depend on the lending institution's due diligence and on your application complying with the scheme's guidelines.

Repayment behaviour is the deciding factor. Access to the next tranche is granted when you repay the earlier loan on time or ahead of schedule, and there is no prepayment penalty for clearing it early. If you repay the second tranche successfully, you also become eligible for the UPI Linked RuPay Credit Card.

PM SVANidhi — Loans of ₹15,000 to ₹50,000 for Street Vendors is offered by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, a government body. It is provided as non-dilutive funding.