SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has accounted for 72 of the 12,398 credit cards issued to micro enterprises across the country under the newly launched Credit Cards for Micro Enterprises Scheme, with Rs 66.77 lakh in sanctioned credit limit as of July 20, 2026, according to a Lok Sabha reply.
The figures place JK ahead of Ladakh, where only one credit card, carrying a sanctioned credit limit of Rs 1.35 lakh, had been issued by the same date.
The Union Government said the scheme, launched on May 25, 2026, provides eligible micro enterprises with credit limits of up to Rs 5 lakh. It also offers guarantee coverage under the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) and does not require collateral.
Nationally, 12,398 cards had been issued with a total sanctioned credit amount of Rs 136.91 crore by July 20. JK’s 72 cards represented around 0.58 per cent of the national total, while Ladakh’s single card accounted for around 0.01 per cent.
The highest number of cards was issued in Uttar Pradesh at 1,678, followed by Maharashtra with 1,259 and Tamil Nadu with 1,121. JK’s figure was also lower than neighbouring Punjab’s 822 cards and Himachal Pradesh’s 140.
Responding to Unstarred Question No. 2305 in the Lok Sabha on Monday, August 3, 2026, Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance Shri Pankaj Chaudhary said the scheme had been launched recently and therefore the target of issuing 10 lakh credit cards in the first year had not yet been achieved.
Under the scheme, the joining fee will be waived for the initial 10 lakh customers, up to a maximum of Rs 500 per RuPay card issued. The Government further said all Udyam-registered micro enterprises, including those operating in rural and semi-urban areas, are eligible for the scheme.
