The Prime Minister Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme, launched in June 2020 as India's first dedicated micro-credit programme for street vendors, has delivered measurable change in the livelihoods of small traders across the country — with beneficiaries from Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana crediting the Central government initiative for helping them stabilise and grow their businesses.

Vendors in J&K Find a Financial Foothold

In Tral, located in Pulwama district of Jammu & Kashmir, street vendors have described the scheme's financial assistance as a turning point. One vendor said the support proved 'immensely beneficial' for sustaining his livelihood, and urged Kashmir's youth to avail themselves of the loan facility to either launch or strengthen small businesses. The outreach in a region historically underserved by formal credit channels marks a notable dimension of the scheme's reach.

Women Entrepreneurs Lead the Way in Neemuch

In Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh, the scheme has emerged as a particularly powerful vehicle for women's economic participation. Pushcart operators and small shopkeepers who previously struggled with fund shortages are now accessing collateral-free loans with relative ease.

Neemuch Chief Municipal Officer Durga Bamaniya told reporters, 'The PM SVANidhi scheme was implemented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to empower street vendors and small retail traders financially during the COVID-19 pandemic.' He noted that women vendors had benefited significantly from the initiative.

Beneficiary Priyanka Jain said, 'I live in Neemuch. I received a loan of ₹10,000 from the municipality. With that loan, I procured raw materials for incense sticks and started a new business. It has been very beneficial for me. As a woman, I would like to say that what the Prime Minister is doing for women is excellent; he has empowered women from middle-class and impoverished backgrounds.'

Rekha Prajapati, another beneficiary, shared: 'I received a loan of ₹10,000 under the PM SVANidhi scheme. We manufacture and sell earthenware. This scheme has greatly benefited me and many other women like me. We used to stay at home, but now we have the opportunity to step out and work.'

Trader Gopal Krishna Chhabra added: 'I repaid the ₹10,000 loan on time. Earlier, I was operating on a small scale, but receiving the loan has been beneficial; I have expanded my market reach. I deal in whole spices, selling packets ranging from 10 grams to 100 grams.'

From Daily Labourer to Vendor: Panipat Stories of Resilience

In Panipat, Haryana, the scheme's tiered loan structure — starting at ₹10,000 and scaling to ₹50,000 upon timely repayment — has enabled vendors to build sustainable micro-enterprises.

Vegetable vendor Govind, who worked as a daily labourer before the pandemic lockdown, began selling vegetables and progressively accessed loans of ₹10,000, then ₹20,000, and subsequently ₹50,000. He operates his cart daily between 3 pm and 10 pm, saving between ₹10,000 and ₹15,000 a month after expenses — funds he uses to service a monthly loan instalment of ₹3,100 and support a family of eight. In recognition of his entrepreneurial journey, Govind was reportedly invited to New Delhi to meet Prime Minister Modi on Republic Day.

Beneficiary Sunita followed a similar path. After an initial tea cart venture did not succeed, she pivoted to a chowmein cart using a fresh loan. She availed loans of ₹10,000, ₹20,000, and finally ₹50,000 in 2024, repaying all instalments on time. Sunita noted that income from the cart now covers both household expenses and her children's needs — a marked shift from the irregular earnings of odd jobs before the scheme.

Scheme Background and Broader Significance

Launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in June 2020, PM SVANidhi was designed to provide working capital credit to street vendors who lost their livelihoods during the COVID-19 lockdown. The scheme offers collateral-free loans, with amounts scaling up based on repayment track record, and also links vendors to digital payment infrastructure. This is notable because it simultaneously extends formal credit access and nudges beneficiaries toward financial inclusion — two outcomes that earlier urban poverty programmes often failed to deliver together.

The on-the-ground accounts from Pulwama to Panipat to Neemuch suggest the scheme's tiered structure is working as intended for a subset of beneficiaries. How widely these gains extend across the estimated 50 lakh-plus street vendors targeted under the programme will determine its long-term policy legacy.