New Delhi, Dec. 22 -- In a major policy initiative aimed at strengthening India's informal economy and uplifting street-level entrepreneurship, the Government of India has announced a restructured and expanded version of the Prime Minister Street Vendor's Atma Nirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Scheme.
The revamped programme is designed to provide sustained credit support, digital financial access and socio-economic empowerment to an estimated 1.15 crore street vendors, including approximately 50 lakh new beneficiaries, with an extended lending period that now runs until March 31, 2030.
Street vendors, an integral part of urban markets and the informal economy, have historically faced barriers such as limited access to formal credit, lack of off...