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The Prime Minister Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme completed six years on 1 June 2026, marking a significant milestone in India's efforts to promote financial inclusion, urban livelihoods, and social security for street vendors.

Launched in June 2020 by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in collaboration with the Department of Financial Services (DFS), the scheme was introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic to provide much-needed working capital support to street vendors whose livelihoods had been severely disrupted.

About PM SVANidhi

PM SVANidhi is a Central Sector Scheme and India's first dedicated micro-credit programme for street vendors. It provides collateral-free working capital loans through the formal banking system, reducing dependence on informal moneylenders while promoting entrepreneurship and financial inclusion.

Key Features

The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) serves as the technical and implementation partner and manages the Credit Guarantee Trust Fund.

‘SVANidhi se Samriddhi’: Beyond Credit to Comprehensive Welfare

To convert financial inclusion into holistic socio-economic empowerment, MoHUA launched the SVANidhi se Samriddhi initiative.

The programme maps the socio-economic profile of vendor households and links them with major welfare schemes, including:

• Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY)
• Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY)
• PM Jan Dhan Yojana
• Building and Other Construction Workers (BoCW) Registration
• PM Shram Yogi Maandhan Yojana
• One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC)
• Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY)
• PM Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)

Six Years of Impact: Key Achievements

The scheme has emerged as one of India's most successful urban livelihood interventions:

• More than 1.12 crore loans sanctioned to over 75.5 lakh street vendors.
• Nearly 95% beneficiaries accessed formal institutional credit for the first time.
• Around 30% beneficiaries secured additional formal credit, reflecting improved creditworthiness.
• Beneficiary incomes increased by an average of 20% annually.
• 46% of beneficiaries are women, promoting women's economic empowerment.
• Nearly 70% belong to marginalized communities, enhancing social inclusion.
• More than 55 lakh vendors digitally onboarded.
• Vendors have collectively undertaken over 841 crore digital transactions.
• Under SVANidhi se Samriddhi, over 50 lakh vendor families have been socio-economically profiled and linked to more than 1.52 crore welfare benefits across eight flagship schemes.

Significance

PM SVANidhi has evolved from a pandemic relief initiative into a powerful instrument for financial inclusion, digital empowerment, entrepreneurship development, and social security expansion. By integrating credit access with welfare convergence, the scheme exemplifies the government's approach to inclusive urban development and grassroots economic empowerment.