In a small village in Uttar Pradesh, Meena Devi once depended entirely on seasonal farm labour.
Today, she runs a small tailoring unit employing three local women. Her husband helps with order delivery. Their children now attend school regularly.
Her transformation wasn’t accidental.
It was made possible through the Start-Up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP) — a quiet but powerful rural entrepreneurship movement that is turning thousands of villagers into self-reliant micro-entrepreneurs.
And what makes SVEP different is this:
👉 It doesn’t just give loans.
👉 It builds confidence, capacity, market linkages — and an ecosystem around entrepreneurs.
Let’s explore how.
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The Start-Up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP) is a flagship sub-scheme under the
Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM)
implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development.
Its mission is simple — yet transformational:
To help rural poor — especially SHG women & youth — start and sustain non-farm micro-enterprises
through finance, mentoring, training and community-based enterprise support.
Instead of one-time assistance, SVEP offers end-to-end enterprise development support, including:
In short…
👉 SVEP doesn’t just help people start businesses — it helps them succeed in business.
Reference: Ministry of Rural Development – SVEP Portal
https://svep.nrlm.gov.in/
SVEP has steadily grown from a pilot initiative into a nationwide rural entrepreneurship model.
Source: Press Information Bureau
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2081567
In Uttar Pradesh:
Source: Times of India policy update
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/govt-boosts-rural-entrepreneurshipscheme-with-fresh-budget-allocation/articleshow/126166142.cms
SVEP strengthens:
Over time, the programme is expected to enable:
(Reference — State implementation framework & programme concept notes)
SVEP does not provide direct cash subsidy.
Instead, it supports entrepreneurs through the
Community Enterprise Fund (CEF) — a revolving loan facility managed at community level.
Loans are:
✔ repayable
✔ community-managed
✔ reinvested to help more entrepreneurs
Guideline references:
https://cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in/…/Community-Enterprise-Fund-Guidelines.pdf
https://www.scribd.com/document/734289649/OSF-guideline-DAY-NRLM
This makes SVEP a financially sustainable entrepreneurship model — not a grant-driven one.
SVEP is built on three strong pillars:
This creates:
✔ local entrepreneurship leadership
✔ peer support networks
✔ community-owned development
Unlike external consultant-led schemes,
SVEP develops entrepreneurs from within the village ecosystem.
Many schemes focus mainly on:
SVEP is different because it integrates:
| Support Area | SVEP | Loan Schemes | Skill Schemes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Credit support | ✔ Yes | ✔ Yes | ✘ No |
| Training & capacity building | ✔ Strong | ✘ Limited | ✔ Strong |
| Hand-holding & mentoring | ✔ Continuous | ✘ Rare | ✘ None |
| Community-based ecosystem | ✔ Yes | ✘ No | ✘ No |
| Focus | Rural non-farm micro-enterprises | Capital financing | Wage employment |
👉 Other schemes create borrowers & trainees.
SVEP creates entrepreneurs.
Independent studies & field evaluations highlight:
Research reference
https://ijmds.in/index.php/ijmds/article/view/485
Micro-enterprises supported include:
These become anchors of local village economies.
Policy update reference
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/govt-boosts-rural-entrepreneurshipscheme-with-fresh-budget-allocation/articleshow/126166142.cms
SVEP is much more than a scheme.
It represents a shift from:
❌ dependency-based welfare
to
✅ community-owned entrepreneurship
It helps villages generate:
And most importantly…
👉 it gives first-generation entrepreneurs
the confidence to believe:
“Business can happen in villages too — not just in cities.”
Here are the direct sources behind the figures above:
📑 CEF Funding and Loan Scale Guideline Details
(block level corpus & enterprise loan figures) https://www.scribd.com/document/734289649/OSF-guideline-DAY-NRLM Scribd
📘 SVEP Official Portal – Programme overview & objectives
https://svep.nrlm.gov.in/ SVEP-NRETP
📊 PIB Report on SVEP Implementation & Financial Releases
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2081567 Press Information Bureau
Tabrez is an entrepreneur and MSME enthusiast who writes about small business growth, government schemes, rural entrepreneurship and export trade. He focuses on simplifying policy information and turning it into practical insights for entrepreneurs and self-starters.
This article on the Start-Up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP) has been prepared for educational, informational and general awareness purposes only. The content is based on publicly available government documents, official portals, press releases, research papers, policy reports, and credible news sources.
While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, scheme guidelines, financial limits, coverage and eligibility conditions may change over time. Readers are strongly advised to verify details from official government websites, departments, or authorised programme authorities before making any financial or business decisions.
This article also uses ChatGPT / AI-assisted research and drafting tools to help in:
All facts and key programme details have been cross-checked with authentic sources as far as possible, but neither the author nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any errors, omissions, policy changes or misinterpretation of information.
Official sources and documents should always be treated as the final reference.
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