**Executive Summary**
The document is an answer to a parliamentary question regarding schemes to encourage Scheduled Tribe (ST) entrepreneurs in India. It outlines the initiatives by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to promote economic development among tribal communities. These include the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission (PMJVM) through TRIFED, the National Scheduled Tribes Finance & Development Corporation (NSTFDC), and the Venture Capital Fund for Scheduled Tribes (VCF-ST). The information provided in response to the question is current as of December 18, 2025.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Ministry Initiatives**:
* The Ministry of Tribal Affairs uses TRIFED and NSTFDC to promote economic activities among tribal communities.
* Implementing 'Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission (PMJVM)' via TRIFED.
* **Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission (PMJVM)**:
* Aims to strengthen tribal entrepreneurship and create livelihood opportunities by optimizing the use of natural resources.
* Provides INR 15.00 lakhs to State Governments to establish Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs).
* 4105 VDVKs sanctioned with 12,27,231 members under PMJVM since 2019-20.
* Under Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN), 539 VDVKs sanctioned with 45,924 members.
* TRIFED provides backward and forward linkages for tribal artisans and suppliers.
* PMJVM has provisions for procurement of Minor Forest Produce (MFPs) at Minimum Support Price (MSP).
* TRIFED organizes festivals and trade fairs.
* **National Scheduled Tribes Finance & Development Corporation (NSTFDC)**:
* NSTFDC provides concessional loans to Scheduled Tribe individuals/SHGs for income-generating activities and self-employment.
* Key schemes:
* Term Loan Scheme: Up to 90% funding for projects costing up to ₹50 lakh per unit.
* Adivasi Mahila Sashaktikaran Yojana (AMSY): Loans up to ₹2 lakh at 4% interest for Scheduled Tribe women.
* Micro Credit Scheme for Self-Help Groups (MCF): Loans up to ₹50,000 per member and ₹5 lakh per SHG.
* Adivasi Shiksha Rrinn Yojana (ASRY): Education loans up to ₹10 lakh at 6% interest.
* **Venture Capital Fund for Scheduled Tribes (VCF-ST)**:
* Promotes entrepreneurship in India among Scheduled Tribes via concessional finance.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder**: Scheduled Tribe (ST) Entrepreneurs
* **Impact**: The Ministry's schemes directly support ST entrepreneurs through financial assistance, skill development, and market access.
* **Action Required**: ST entrepreneurs should explore the opportunities provided by TRIFED, NSTFDC, and VCF-ST to start or expand their businesses.
**Stakeholder**: State Governments
* **Impact**: State Governments receive financial support to set up Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs), leading to local economic development in tribal areas.
* **Action Required**: State Governments should effectively utilize the allocated funds to establish and manage VDVKs, ensuring they benefit tribal communities.
**Stakeholder**: Tribal Communities
* **Impact**: The initiatives aim to improve economic conditions, create employment, and empower tribal communities through entrepreneurship and skill development.
* **Action Required**: Tribal communities should actively participate in the schemes and initiatives offered by the government, leveraging them for economic advancement.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Tribal Affairs: The primary government body responsible for the schemes and initiatives discussed in the document.
Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission (PMJVM): A scheme implemented by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, through TRIFED, to strengthen tribal entrepreneurship and livelihood opportunities.
Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs): Centers set up under PMJVM to facilitate value addition activities of Minor Forest Produce (MFPs) and Non-farm produce.
TRIFED (Tribal Co-operative Marketing Development Federation of India): An agency of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, involved in implementing PMJVM and providing market linkages for tribal artisans.
National Scheduled Tribes Finance & Development Corporation (NSTFDC): A Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, which provides concessional loans to Scheduled Tribe individuals/SHGs for income-generating activities.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3117
TO BE ANSWERED ON: 18.12.2025
SCHEME TO ENCOURAGE ST ENTREPRENEURS
†3117. DR. SAMBIT PATRA:
Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government is implementing any scheme to encourage Scheduled Tribe (ST) entrepreneurs,
particularly new and first-generation entrepreneurs, for creating employment opportunities in ST-dominated
areas of the country and if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether the Government proposes to implement any special scheme in Odisha and the North-Eastern
States to promote entrepreneurship and skill development among youth and if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the details of funds allocated and expenditure incurred during the last three financial years for schemes
aimed at generating employment opportunities in Scheduled Tribe-dominated areas?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRIBAL AFFAIRS
(SHRI DURGADAS UIKEY)
(a) to (c) The Ministry of Tribal Affairs through its two agencies namely Tribal Co-operative Marketing
Development Federation of India (TRIFED) & National Scheduled Tribes Finance & Development
Corporation (NSTFDC) have contributed significantly in promoting economic activities being undertaken
by the tribal communities and have impacted in turn their economic development.
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is implementing the scheme ‘Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission
(PMJVM)’ through TRIFED which envisions to strengthen tribal entrepreneurship initiatives and to
facilitate livelihood opportunities by promoting more efficient, equitable, self-managed, optimum use of
natural resources, Agri / Minor Forest Produce (MFPs) / Non-farm produce. Under the scheme, financial
support of INR 15.00 lakhs is provided to the State Governments for setting up each Van Dhan Vikas
Kendras (VDVKs) which are the centers of value addition activities of MFPs/Non-MFPs. Since the
inception of the program in 2019-20, a total of 4105 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs) have been
sanctioned associating 12,27,231 members. Additionally, under the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya
Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) initiative, a total of 539 VDVKs have been sanctioned associating 45,924
members. State-wise details of the same is given at Annexure-I.
TRIFED also provides backward and forward linkages for tribal artisans and suppliers, facilitating the
marketing of tribal products across various categories, including metal craft, textiles, jewelry, paintings,cane and bamboo, terracotta and pottery, as well as organic and natural food products. These products are
marketed through both online and offline platforms.
Additionally, PMJVM scheme has provision for procurement of Minor Forest Produce (MFPs) at Minimum
Support Price (MSP) thereby safeguarding their efforts in MFP collection. Furthermore, TRIFED organizes
and participates in festivals, exhibitions, and trade fairs to provide a platform for tribal artisans to showcase
their products, connect with potential buyers, and enhance their entrepreneurial opportunities.
The National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC), a Central Public Sector
Enterprise (CPSE) under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, facilitates credit linkage by providing concessional
loans to eligible Scheduled Tribe individuals/SHGs for undertaking income-generating activities and self-
employment, thereby fostering entrepreneurship. The key schemes of NSTFDC are as follows:
• Term Loan Scheme: NSTFDC extends financial assistance for viable projects costing up to ₹50 lakh
per unit. Under this scheme, up to 90% of the project cost is funded, with the remaining amount
covered through subsidy, promoter contribution, or margin money.
• Adivasi Mahila Sashaktikaran Yojana (AMSY): A dedicated scheme for the economic empowerment
of Scheduled Tribe women, providing loans of up to ₹2 lakh per project at a highly concessional
interest rate of 4% per annum, covering up to 90% of the project cost.
• Micro Credit Scheme for Self-Help Groups (MCF): Designed exclusively for Self-Help Groups
(SHGs) to address the small loan requirements of Scheduled Tribe members. Under this scheme,
loans of up to ₹50,000 per member and a maximum of ₹5 lakh per SHG are provided.
• Adivasi Shiksha Rrinn Yojana (ASRY): An education loan scheme aimed at supporting Scheduled
Tribe students in pursuing technical and professional education, including Ph.D. programs, in India.
Financial assistance of up to ₹10 lakh per eligible family is provided at a concessional interest rate of
6% per annum.
State-wise amount of loans disbursed and beneficiaries under the schemes of NSTFDC in the last three years
is given at Annexure-II.
The Ministry has also launched Venture Capital Fund for Scheduled Tribes (VCF-ST) to promote
entrepreneurship in India among the Scheduled Tribes by providing concessional finance to them. The
details of the beneficiaries who have received support under the VCF-ST scheme since its inception, State-
wise, is given below:S. No. State Beneficiary Amount of financial assistance sanctioned (₹ in crores)
1 Chhattisgarh Hemal Food Product Pvt Ltd. 3.41
2 Telangana Harleys India Pvt. Ltd. 5.00Annexure-I referred to in reply to Part (a) to (c) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3117 for
18.12.2025
PM JVM VDVKs
Sl. No. States/UTs VDVKs Sanctioned Beneficiaries Funds Sanctioned (In Lakhs)
1 Andhra Pradesh 415 123258 6162.9
2 Arunachal Pradesh 106 32897 1590
3 Assam 483 146909 7245
4 Chhattisgarh 139 41700 2085
5 DNH & DD 1 302 15
6 Goa 10 3000 150
7 Gujarat 200 57968 2895.65
8 Himachal Pradesh 4 1110 55.5
9 Jammu & Kashmir 100 29791 1457
10 Jharkhand 146 43701 2174.7
11 Karnataka 140 41748 2087.4
12 Kerala 44 12038 597.25
13 Ladakh 10 3000 150
14 Madhya Pradesh 126 37860 1890
15 Maharashtra 279 83850 4185
16 Manipur 204 61,493 3051.8
17 Meghalaya 169 50835 2534.1
18 Mizoram 286 84268 4211.55
19 Nagaland 347 104068 5203.4
20 Odisha 170 50094 2479.25
21 Rajasthan 505 152362 7513.55
22 Sikkim 80 23801 1169.05
23 Tamil Nadu 8 2400 120
24 Telangana 17 5100 255
25 Tripura 57 16116 776
26 Uttar Pradesh 25 7238 359.55
27 Uttarakhand 12 3605 179.95
28 West Bengal 22 6719 329.35
TOTAL 4105 1227231 60922.95Annexure-I referred to in reply to Part (a) to (c) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3117 for
18.12.2025
PM-JANMAN VDVK
Sl. No. States/ UTs VDVKs Sanctioned Beneficiaries Funds Sanctioned (In Lakhs)
1 Andaman & Nicobar 1 56 2.80
2 Andhra Pradesh 73 6162 307.55
3 Chhattisgarh 16 2395 119.75
4 Gujarat 21 1050 52.50
5 Jharkhand 35 2876 143.80
6 Karnataka 33 1836 91.80
7 Kerala 7 537 26.85
8 Madhya Pradesh 83 5091 254.50
9 Maharashtra 40 3624 181.20
10 Manipur 2 600 30.00
11 Odisha 66 5244 262.95
12 Rajasthan 51 8842 442.10
13 Tamil Nadu 37 2403 120.15
14 Telangana 25 1427 73.05
15 Tripura 30 2550 127.50
16 Uttarakhand 9 634 31.70
17 Uttar Pradesh 5 319 15.95
18 West Bengal 5 278 13.9
Total 539 45924 2298.05Annexure-II referred to in reply to Part (a) to (c) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3117 for
18.12.2025
State-wise amount of loans disbursed and beneficiaries under the schemes of NSTFDC in the last
three years
2022-23 2023-24 2024-25
S.
State No. of No. of No. of
No. Amt. Amt. Amt.
beneficiaries beneficiaries beneficiaries
1 Andhra Pradesh 4119.80 13669 5551.49 27221 6039.21 12899
Andaman &
2 - - 0 0 0 0
Nicobar
3 Arunachal Pradesh 699.90 1835 25.77 13 17.88 17
4 Assam - - 40.02 43 24.24 21
5 Bihar - - 3.06 3 0 0
6 Chhattisgarh 295.69 1216 227.29 503 499.43 4837
Dadra & Nagar
7 - - 4.55 6 0 0
Haveli
8 Goa - - 0.22 1 0 0
9 Gujarat 1019.61 5224 2810.12 11848 4931.39 18461
10 Haryana - - 0 0 0 0
11 Himachal Pradesh 56.90 120 2.19 2 30.60 33
12 Jammu & Kashmir 1272.54 535 295.19 106 1102.49 409
13 Jharkhand 3.00 756 684.25 1703 247.45 135
14 Karnataka 1582.42 1927 853.41 1003 1854.44 1368
15 Kerala 720.73 666 446.74 258 684.80 567
Ladakh 73.53 13
16 Madhya Pradesh 5392.05 10857 1759.58 828 1660.72 1582
17 Maharashtra 658.19 1204 2523.52 1528 567.76 1005
18 Manipur 25.00 57 235.49 174 102.80 65
19 Meghalaya 470.60 1227 475.91 1193 298.09 112
20 Mizoram 5295.74 3584 6856.69 4573 6948.28 3529
21 Nagaland 20.39 1 1199.77 771 627.08 282
22 Odisha 63.19 4337 362.35 17025 883.56 15045
23 Rajasthan 789.35 1856 712.22 885 130.16 1091
24 Sikkim - - 34.23 27 201.63 46
25 Tamil Nadu 1087.13 3403 3265.67 7327 1210.39 6437
26 Telangana 4583.99 11861 3218.52 11369 5174.31 10777
27 Tripura 48.02 20 2014.62 2234 1695.98 569
28 Uttar Pradesh - - 3.37 4 1.92 2
29 Uttarakhand 81.42 244 32.59 8 85.81 628
30 West Bengal 1643.34 8393 1526.59 4486 2233.75 8828
Total 29929.00 72992 24221.12 52432 37327.70 88758