SRINAGAR: More than 17,700 street vendors in Jammu and Kashmir have benefited under the Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme since its launch, according to data shared by the Centre in Parliament.
Replying to an unstarred question in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs said 11,516 street vendors in Jammu and Kashmir received assistance under the scheme in 2020-21. The number of beneficiaries stood at 2,762 in 2021-22, 923 in 2022-23, 1,553 in 2023-24, 499 in 2024-25 and 479 in 2025-26.
The figures take the total number of beneficiaries in the Union Territory to 17,732 since the scheme’s inception.
The ministry said the Centre has approved a restructured PM SVANidhi scheme, extending its lending period till March 31, 2030. Under the revised scheme, the maximum loan amount for the first tranche has been increased to Rs 15,000 from Rs 10,000, while the second tranche has been enhanced to Rs 25,000 from Rs 20,000.
The revamped scheme also introduces cashback on wholesale purchases in addition to digital retail transactions, expands coverage beyond statutory urban areas to census towns and peri-urban areas in a phased manner, and provides UPI-linked RuPay Credit Cards to beneficiaries who have repaid the second loan tranche.
The ministry said outreach has been strengthened through awareness campaigns, Lok Kalyan Melas and special drives to improve loan disbursal and digital onboarding of street vendors across the country.
