Rise Together — Up to ₹20 Lakh for J&K Youth Groups — Frequently Asked Questions

Financial assistance goes up to ₹20 lakh per project. That is made up of an upfront subsidy from Mission Youth of at least ₹2.5 lakh or 10% of the project cost, a bank loan covering 70% of the project cost up to ₹17.50 lakh, and a special repayment subsidy that can aggregate up to ₹5 lakh per case.

No. The programme is structured as debt support — a subsidy plus a bank loan — so no equity or ownership stake in the enterprise is taken. The group does, however, have to bring in margin money of at least 20% of the project's total cost on its own.

Only youth groups, not individuals. A group needs at least three members, all of them J&K domiciles registered with Mission Youth. Every member must be 18 to 35 years old and have passed at least 12th standard, though the CEO, Mission Youth can relax the education requirement for deserving candidates. All members must be unemployed with certification from a competent authority, must not have taken benefits under any self-employment or similar government scheme before, must not be defaulters to any bank or financial institution, and must have their character antecedents certified by the police.

Proposals are invited online during the 4th quarter of each year, and the window is described as rolling or always open. The assessment exercise is completed by the end of the financial year, and shortlisted proposals are notified in April.

The beneficiary youth group has to self-finance or self-arrange margin money of at least 20% of the project's total cost.

It supports community-oriented businesses that generate local employment. Examples covered include mechanized dairy units, automated sheep farms, departmental stores, manufacturing units that use indigenous raw materials, wayside amenities along tourist circuits, sound and light recreational facilities, smart teaching-learning facilities, and supply and distribution networks for retail products. Any other activity that promotes self-reliance and inclusive social development is also welcome.

The programme does not require DPIIT recognition or MSME registration. It does require that the youth group is registered with Mission Youth, J&K and that every member is a J&K domicile. Groups already registered as Self-Help Groups, Registered Societies or Registered Trusts are given preference.

You begin by logging in with your Aadhaar on the Mission Youth portal and filling in the required information. The eligibility rules also point to J&K domicile, registration with Mission Youth, an unemployment certificate from a competent authority, and a police character certificate for every group member. If your group is shortlisted, you will additionally need to prepare a Detailed Project Report covering your proposed activity.

Applications are made online. Log in with your Aadhaar at https://jkgss.jk.gov.in/gssjk/citizen/initApp/30 and fill in the required information; the scheme document is available at https://missionyouth.jk.gov.in/scheme_pdf/rise_together.pdf. Shortlisted groups are notified in April and given counselling. They then submit a Detailed Project Report, which is evaluated by a Technical Committee constituted by the CEO, Mission Youth. Groups with approved DPRs receive pre-sanction training before the project is taken up.

No. Members who have previously availed benefits under any self-employment or similar government scheme are not eligible, and loans already taken under government-sponsored schemes are not eligible either. Applicants must also be non-defaulters with banks and financial institutions.

Rise Together — Up to ₹20 Lakh for J&K Youth Groups is offered by Mission Youth, Government of Jammu and Kashmir, a government body. It is provided as non-dilutive funding.