Uttarakhand Tourism Entrepreneur Promotion Scheme — Grants to ₹1.5 Cr

The Uttarakhand Tourism Entrepreneur Promotion Scheme is a state-level incentive programme from the Tourism Department, Government of Uttarakhand. It backs residents and entrepreneurs who set up or expand tourism businesses inside the state, and it works through a package of capital grants, stamp duty reimbursement and interest subsidy rather than equity.

Projects that commit between ₹1 crore and ₹5 crore to identified tourism activities are the target of the scheme. The design is deliberate: lower the cash barrier at the point of construction, then reduce the cost of borrowing once the unit is running, so that local investors can take on new ventures and expansions that might otherwise be too heavy to finance.

The wider purpose is to build up small and medium tourism units run by people from the state, create lasting jobs, and lift the quality of tourism infrastructure to internationally acceptable standards. Support is meant to reach every region of Uttarakhand rather than a handful of well-developed districts, and the scheme is framed to sit within the Uttarakhand Tourism Policy 2023.

Applications are filed through the Invest Uttarakhand single window system and there is no fixed closing date — the window stays open on a rolling basis.

• Capital grant of up to ₹1.5 crore, tiered by district category — ₹80 lakh in Category A and ₹1.2 crore in Category B
• 100% reimbursement of stamp duty on land sale/lease deeds, loan agreements, mortgages and pledges
• 3% interest subsidy on term loans for up to three years, capped at ₹4–6 lakh a year depending on the district
• Open to Uttarakhand residents and entrepreneurs investing ₹1 crore to ₹5 crore in tourism units
• Unit must give at least 70% permanent local employment and hold State GST registration
• Applications are accepted on a rolling basis with no fixed deadline

Who can apply

• The applicant must be a permanent resident of Uttarakhand or a Uttarakhand-based entrepreneur.
• The proposed investment in identified tourism activities must fall between ₹1,00,00,000 and ₹5,00,00,000 (₹1 crore to ₹5 crore).
• The unit has to be registered as a sole proprietorship, partnership, LLP, private limited company or any other legal entity, and participation in it must be exclusively by Uttarakhand permanent residents or entrepreneurs.
• The unit needs to stand on fully owned land, or on leased land where more than 10 years of the lease period is still remaining.
• In-principle approval (CAF) must be obtained through the Single Window Portal under the Uttarakhand Udhyam Ekul Khidki Sugamata aur Anugyapan Adhiniyam, 2012.
• The unit must provide permanent local employment to at least 70% of its workforce.
• Registration with the State GST Department is mandatory.

The scheme's eligibility conditions do not list DPIIT recognition or MSME registration as requirements — the State GST registration and the in-principle approval through the Common Application Form are the compliance steps that matter here.

Uttarakhand Tourism Entrepreneur Promotion Scheme — Grants to ₹1.5 Cr is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.

Uttarakhand Tourism Entrepreneur Promotion Scheme — Grants to ₹1.5 Cr accepts applications on a rolling basis — there is no fixed cut-off date, so eligible startups can apply at any time. Because rolling programmes can pause without notice, confirm the window is still open on the official site before you start.

Capital grant

A capital grant is worked out on the permissible capital investment for a new unit or an expansion, and the ceiling depends on the district category the unit falls under:

• Category A districts: up to ₹80 lakh
• Category B districts: up to ₹1.2 crore
• Category C districts: up to ₹1.5 crore

The grant can be used towards buildings, plant and machinery, equipment and auxiliary facilities. To draw it, the investor must show full payment for all capital assets, complete ownership of the project, and assets that are installed and in use at the project site.

Stamp duty reimbursement

Eligible units receive 100% of the stamp duty paid on sale or lease deeds for land and built-up areas, and on loan agreements, mortgages and pledges executed while the scheme is in force. The reimbursement is released as a lump sum once commercial operations begin, which takes a sizeable chunk out of upfront setup costs.

Interest subsidy

Term loans taken from approved financial institutions carry a 3% interest subsidy, capped each year at ₹4 lakh in Category A districts, ₹5 lakh in Category B districts and ₹6 lakh in Category C districts. It is paid for a maximum of three years, counted from the date commercial operations start.

Taken together, the support available under the scheme runs from roughly ₹33 lakh to ₹1.5 crore, depending on the project's district category and size.

Uttarakhand Tourism Entrepreneur Promotion Scheme — Grants to ₹1.5 Cr is offered by Department of Tourism, Government of Uttarakhand, a government body. As a government-backed grant, it is publicly funded and open to eligible startups across India.

Applications are filed on the Invest Uttarakhand single window portal and then move through a multi-stage review rather than a single approval. In sequence:

• Scrutiny by the District Tourism Development Officer.
• Review by the Nodal Officer at the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB).
• Examination by the State Level Authorised Committee.
• Site inspection of the proposed or existing tourism unit, which may be carried out to confirm its infrastructure, location and operational readiness.
• Final approval, followed by digitally signed certificates or licences for the scheme benefits, which can be downloaded from the portal.

At each stage the reviewing authority verifies that the details submitted are accurate, that every eligibility condition is met, and that the project fits the objectives of the scheme. Applicants can follow the status of a submitted application online using the same login credentials used to apply.

Before you apply to Uttarakhand Tourism Entrepreneur Promotion Scheme — Grants to ₹1.5 Cr, keep the following documents ready:

• A pitch deck or short business plan describing the problem, product and traction
• Company registration documents and PAN
• Founder identification (PAN / Aadhaar) and brief profiles
• Recent financial statements or projections
• Product details — a demo, prototype or working link if available

Exact requirements are confirmed on the official application portal — treat this as a preparation checklist.

Uttarakhand Tourism Entrepreneur Promotion Scheme — Grants to ₹1.5 Cr is best suited for startups in India seeking non-dilutive funding of ₹33L – ₹1.5Cr. If that describes your startup, review the eligibility criteria above before applying.