PM VIKAS — Skilling, Education & Women Entrepreneurship for Minorities — Frequently Asked Questions

PM VIKAS, short for Pradhan Mantri Virasat ka Samvardhan, is a Central Sector Scheme run by the Ministry of Minority Affairs. It was built by bringing five earlier schemes — Seekho Aur Kamao, Nai Manzil, Nai Roshni, USTTAD and Hamari Dharohar — under a single umbrella, and it works on the socio-economic advancement of India's notified minority communities through skilling, education, women's leadership, enterprise support and heritage promotion.

You must be an Indian national and belong to one of the six notified minority communities: Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains or Parsis. Beyond that core group, the scheme also leaves room for non-minority (EWS) candidates — up to 25% of seats in Traditional Skilling and up to 15% in the other components — as a way of encouraging inter-community solidarity.

The scheme does not publish one fixed amount, because the value of support varies by component. What a beneficiary actually receives comes in several forms: fully funded skill training, a stipend during the training period, education support for completing 8th, 10th and 12th standard through open schooling, help with credit access, and market and e-commerce linkages for artisans and entrepreneurs.

No. This is a grant-based government scheme, so there is no equity stake taken in your enterprise and nothing to repay. The support is delivered as training, stipends, education and linkages at no cost to the beneficiary.

For the skilling and education components, applicants should be between 14 and 45 years old. For the Women Leadership and Entrepreneurship component, the eligible band is 18 to 45 years.

There is no fixed deadline. Enrolment under PM VIKAS runs on a rolling, always-open basis, so you can register and apply for a batch whenever one that suits you is available on the portal.

It is designed for school dropouts. Through open schooling, beneficiaries get the chance to complete their 8th, 10th and 12th standard qualifications, which in turn improves their eligibility for jobs and further training.

Yes. Women must make up at least 33% of beneficiaries in the skilling component and 50% in the education component, while the Women Leadership and Entrepreneurship component is entirely for women, with training plus support to start their own enterprises. Separately, 3% of seats across all components are reserved for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).

Applications go through the SIDH Portal at skillindiadigital.gov.in. Register or log in as a learner or participant, complete e-KYC with your personal details, set a password or PIN, verify your mobile number by OTP and keep your profile accurate. Then use the dashboard filters to find PM VIKAS job roles and batches, show interest in up to five batches, wait for the training partner's approval, and accept the invitation to confirm your enrolment. You can follow the status under the "Applications" section.

The training partner or training centre handling your chosen batch reviews your application after you express interest. Once they approve, you receive an invitation that you must accept on the portal to finalise enrolment. For the Women Leadership and Entrepreneurship component, selection additionally looks at aptitude and leadership qualities.

No. DPIIT (Startup India) recognition is not listed as a mandatory requirement for PM VIKAS — Skilling, Education & Women Entrepreneurship for Minorities, though having it can strengthen your application and unlock other benefits.

PM VIKAS — Skilling, Education & Women Entrepreneurship for Minorities is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.

PM VIKAS — Skilling, Education & Women Entrepreneurship for Minorities is offered by Ministry of Minority Affairs, a government body. It is provided as non-dilutive funding.