UP govt to promote entrepreneurship among women, SCs, STs

Stressing the need for creating more opportunities for women, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya today said that campaigns like Standup Women and Standup India will act as a force multiplier in India's economic development.
The deputy chief minister also expressed the need for a multi-dimensional approach for development and promotion of women.
"The objective behind Standup Women campaign is to promote entrepreneurship among women, scheduled castes and tribes by enabling them secure easier loans and this could be an engine of job creation for the youth," he said here.
Maurya was inaugurating a National Conference and Awards ceremony on Stand-up India - Standup Women "Driving India's Economic Development", organised by ASSOCHAM.

He said that under the scheme, which could transform lives of Dalit and Tribal communities, SC/ST and women entrepreneurs would be provided loans between Rs 10 lakh and Rs one crore for setting up new enterprises.
"This will help in creating 2.5 lakh entrepreneurs throughout the country as every bank branch will be required to provide two such loans - to a Dalit or SC/ST person and a woman," a press release issued by the industry chamber said quoting him.

Maurya said the scheme aimed to empower every Indian. "It seeks to convert job-seekers into job-creators," he said.
Maurya said that under the Standup India scheme launched in 2016-17 to support entrepreneurship among the Dalits, tribals and women, over 16,000 new enterprises have come up in areas such as food processing, garments and diagnostic centres.

ASSOCHAM Secretary General D S Rawat said the Standup scheme was meant for the uplift of downtrodden sections of the society, but the scheme did not get the desired publicity.
Rawat suggested that if the government worked in tandem with SIDBI (Small Industries Development Bank Of India) and ASSOCHAM, the Standup scheme could deliver even better results.