NSFDC showcases success in bolstering entrepreneurship amongst depressed classes
Published: Jul 14, 2026
By TIOLCorplaws News Service
NEW DELHI, JULY 14, 2026: THE National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC), a Central Public Sector Enterprise under the aegis of the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, has achieved significant success in promoting entrepreneurship, self-employment and socio-economic conditions of the eligible Scheduled Caste persons through its concessional Credit-Based Schemes. The Schemes have improved the socio-economic conditions of the target beneficiaries across the country.
An Impact Evaluation Study conducted by an external agency M/s Development Oriented Operations Research and Surveys (DOORS) during the FY 2025-26, on sample basis has revealed positive outcomes in terms of income enhancement, asset creation, employment generation and improvement in social status.
The study covered a sample of 5,480 beneficiaries assisted under NSFDC Credit Based Schemes during 2021-22,2022-23 and 2023-24 across eleven States and Union Territories, namely Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Odisha, Puducherry, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Tripura.
The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of NSFDC's lending schemes in generating sustainable livelihood opportunities and fostering entrepreneurship among Scheduled Caste communities.
According to the study, 93.34 % of the beneficiaries utilized the financial assistance for the intended purpose, demonstrating the effectiveness of the NSFDC's lending mechanisms and monitoring systems, 93.54% of the beneficiaries continue to possess the assets created through NSFDC assistance reflecting the sustainability and productive use of the loans provided under various schemes and 8.98% of the beneficiaries crossed the annual family income threshold of Rs 3.00 lakh.
The Study further indicates that the proportion of beneficiaries with annual family incomes between Rs 1.50 lakh and Rs 3.00 lakh increased from 32.61% before availing assistance, to 46.28% thereafter. Similarly, the proportion of beneficiaries with annual incomes below Rs 1.50 lakh declined from 67.39% to 44.74% whileas 81.30% of the beneficiaries reported an improvement in their social status after availing assistance under NSFDC's loan schemes.
A significant increase in self-employment was observed among beneficiaries as the proportion of self-employed beneficiaries rose from 46.62 % before availing the loan to 73.95 % after receiving assistance. The most notable improvement was witnessed in non-agricultural self-employment activities where the share increased from 35.64 % to 59.42 %.
The evaluation study further highlights the positive impact of NSFDC Schemes on women empowerment. Out of 705 women who were identified as homemakers before receiving financial assistance, 674 women (95.60%age) subsequently became self-employed . This transformation underscores the role of NSFDC in promoting financial independence and economic participation among women beneficiaries.
The study also points in improvements of social status and confidence levels amongst beneficiaries. More than 58 % of respondents reported a significant improvement in their social standing, while another 23 % reported moderate improvement. Overall, over 81 % of beneficiaries acknowledged that the assistance received under NSFDC schemes contributed positively to their social and economic advancement.
The findings of the independent evaluation study reaffirms NSFDC's commitment to reducing poverty, promoting self-reliance and enhancing the socio-economic well-being of Scheduled Caste communities through targeted financial assistance and livelihood support. NSFDC will continue to strengthen its outreach, improve service delivery mechanisms and expand access to affordable credit for eligible beneficiaries across the country.
