PM SVANidhi fair in Ahmedabad: Thousands attend, vendors get loans
Synopsis
Thousands of street vendors and residents gathered at Ahmedabad's Kalyan Community Hall for a PM SVANidhi welfare fair, where beneficiaries received loans ranging from ₹10,000 to ₹50,000. The event underscores the scheme's reach: over 1.12 crore loans worth ₹17,800 crore disbursed nationally since 2020.
Key Takeaways
A PM SVANidhi loan welfare fair was held at Kalyan Community Hall, Vastrapur, Ahmedabad on 8 June .
Ahmedabad Mayor Hitesh Barot and other dignitaries attended; more than 100 beneficiaries participated directly.
Vendors received cheques and sanction letters; training on digital transactions was also provided.
Nationally, over 1.12 crore loans worth more than ₹17,800 crore have been disbursed since the scheme's launch in 2020 , benefiting over 75 lakh vendors.
Loans are available in three tranches: ₹10,000 , ₹20,000–₹25,000 , and up to ₹50,000 .
A PM SVANidhi loan welfare fair was held at Kalyan Community Hall in the Vastrapur area of Ahmedabad on 8 June, drawing thousands of attendees including street vendors who received cheques and sanction letters under the scheme. Ahmedabad Mayor Hitesh Barot was among the dignitaries present at the event organised by the Urban Community Development (UCD) department of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.
What Happened at the Fair
More than 100 beneficiaries participated directly in the event, where they were briefed on a range of government welfare programmes. Training on digital transactions was also conducted, reflecting the scheme's broader push toward financial literacy and cashless commerce among informal traders.
Organisers emphasised that the fair goes beyond loan disbursement — it serves as a platform to connect street vendors with the wider ecosystem of government support schemes, from social security coverage to institutional credit access.
What the Mayor and Beneficiaries Said
Mayor Hitesh Barot said that loan facilities under the scheme are designed to make recipients self-reliant.
Beneficiary Radha Ben Naika said: 'My situation has improved since receiving the SVANidhi loan. I first received a loan of ₹10,000, and now I have received one for ₹25,000. I started a clothing business, which has been very profitable for me. The loan is helping me support my family and fund my child's education.'
Another beneficiary, Vaishali Soni, said: 'I received a loan of ₹50,000. This loan is very helpful for middle-class families.' She also expressed gratitude to the Gujarat government and Chief Minister.
About the PM SVANidhi Scheme
Launched in 2020 by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the PM SVANidhi scheme provides collateral-free working capital loans to urban street vendors. Loans are disbursed in three tranches: the first at ₹10,000, the second at ₹20,000–₹25,000, and the third up to ₹50,000, with eligibility for higher tranches contingent on timely repayment.
National Scale and Impact
Since its launch, the scheme has disbursed more than 1.12 crore loans nationally, benefiting over 75 lakh vendors across urban centres. Total loan disbursements have crossed ₹17,800 crore, according to official figures. The programme has also expanded social security coverage and accelerated digital payment adoption among a segment of the workforce that has historically operated outside the formal financial system.
The Ahmedabad fair is part of a series of outreach events being held across cities to widen scheme awareness and onboard new beneficiaries ahead of the next disbursement cycle.
Point of View
But the more telling metric is repayment quality and third-tranche uptake — data the government has been slow to publish at the city level. With over 1.12 crore loans disbursed nationally, PM SVANidhi is undeniably one of the wider-reaching urban welfare programmes of the past five years. Yet the gap between loan disbursement numbers and verifiable income improvement for vendors remains underreported. Digital transaction training is a welcome add-on, but its stickiness among low-literacy vendors in the informal economy deserves independent scrutiny before it is counted as a success metric.
NationPress
25 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the PM SVANidhi scheme?
PM SVANidhi is a Union government scheme launched in 2020 by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to provide collateral-free working capital loans to urban street vendors. Loans are disbursed in three tranches of up to ₹10,000, ₹25,000, and ₹50,000 respectively, with higher tranches available on timely repayment.
What happened at the Ahmedabad PM SVANidhi fair on 8 June?
A loan welfare fair was organised by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation's Urban Community Development department at Kalyan Community Hall in Vastrapur. Thousands attended, over 100 beneficiaries received cheques and sanction letters, and training on digital transactions was provided.
How many loans have been disbursed under PM SVANidhi nationally?
More than 1.12 crore loans worth over ₹17,800 crore have been disbursed since the scheme's launch in 2020, benefiting over 75 lakh vendors across Indian cities and towns, according to official figures.
Who is eligible for a PM SVANidhi loan?
Urban street vendors and small traders working in the informal economy are eligible. The scheme is administered through Urban Local Bodies and provides collateral-free loans, with eligibility for higher tranches based on timely repayment of earlier loans.
What benefits does PM SVANidhi offer beyond loans?
Beyond working capital loans, the scheme encourages digital payment adoption, improves access to institutional credit, and expands social security coverage for vendors. Welfare fairs like the one in Ahmedabad also connect beneficiaries with other government programmes.
