New Delhi April 07 (KNS): On 8 April 2025, India marks 10 years of the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY). Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY), the Flagship Programme of the Prime Minister aimed at Funding the Unfunded micro enterprises and small businesses. By removing the burden of collateral and simplifying access, MUDRA laid the foundation for a new era of grassroots entrepreneurship.
Across the country, lives have transformed. Kamlesh, a home-based tailor in Delhi, expanded her work, employed three other women, and enrolled her children in a good school. Bindu, who began with 50 brooms a day, now leads a unit producing 500. These are not exceptions anymore. They reflect a larger shift.
From stitching units and tea stalls to salons, mechanic shops, and mobile repair businesses, crores of micro-entrepreneurs have stepped forward with confidence, enabled by a system that believed in their potential. PMMY has supported these journeys by offering institutional credit to non-corporate, non-farm micro and small enterprises that form the backbone of India’s economy.
At its core, the MUDRA Yojana is a story of trust. Trust in people’s aspirations and in their ability to build. Trust in the belief that even the smallest dreams deserve a platform to grow.
Achievements under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana
Since its launch in April 2015, the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) has sanctioned over 52 crore loans worth ?32.61 lakh crore, fuelling a nationwide entrepreneurial revolution. Business growth is no longer confined to big cities—it is spreading to small towns and villages, where first-time entrepreneurs are taking charge of their destinies. The shift in mindset is evident: people are no longer job seekers; they are becoming job creators.
MSME Credit Boom: A Stronger Business Ecosystem
The SBI report highlights a significant rise in credit flow to MSMEs, driven by Mudra’s impact. MSME lending surged from ?8.51 lakh crore in FY14 to ?27.25 lakh crore in FY24, and is projected to cross ?30 lakh crore in FY25. The share of MSME credit in total bank credit increased from 15.8 percent in FY14 to nearly 20 percent in FY24, showcasing its growing role in the Indian economy. This expansion has enabled businesses in smaller towns and rural areas to access financial support that was previously unavailable, strengthening India’s self-reliant economy and driving grassroots job creation.
Financial Inclusion: Empowering Women
Women account for 68 percent of all Mudra beneficiaries, underscoring the scheme’s pivotal role in advancing women-led enterprises across the country. Between FY16 and FY25, the per woman PMMY disbursement amount increased at a CAGR of 13 percent, reaching ?62,679, while per woman incremental deposits grew at a CAGR of 14 percent to ?95,269. States with higher disbursement shares to women have recorded significantly higher employment generation through women-led MSMEs, reinforcing the effectiveness of targeted financial inclusion in enhancing women’s economic empowerment and labour force participation.
Financial Inclusion: Reaching Socially Marginalised Groups
PMMY has made significant progress in breaking traditional credit barriers. According to the SBI report, 50 percent of Mudra accounts are held by SC, ST and OBC entrepreneurs, ensuring wider access to formal finance. Furthermore, 11 percent of Mudra loan holders belong to minority communities, demonstrating the scheme’s contribution to inclusive growth by enabling marginalised communities to become active participants in the formal economy.
Progressive Lending: From Shishu to Tarun
Over the past ten years, Mudra has facilitated the opening of over 52 crore loan accounts, marking a steady rise in entrepreneurial activity. The share of Kishor loans (?50,000 to ?5 lakh) has grown from 5.9 percent in FY16 to 44.7 percent in FY25, indicating a shift from micro to small enterprises. The Tarun category (?5 lakh to ?10 lakh) is also gaining momentum, proving that Mudra is not just about starting businesses but helping them scale.
Bigger Loans, Stronger Businesses
A telescopic view of total loans sanctioned and disbursed under PMMY reveals that the scheme’s Unique Selling Proposition has been well received by a diverse base of intended beneficiaries, thereby strengthening the economic influence of the bottom of the pyramid.
The average ticket size of loans has nearly tripled—rising from ?38,000 in FY16 to ?72,000 in FY23, and further to ?1.02 lakh in FY25—reflecting growing economies of scale and a deepening of both market depth and width.
Furthermore, loan disbursal rose by 36 percent in FY23, indicating a strong revival of entrepreneurial confidence across the country.
Leading States/UTs in PM Mudra Loan Disbursal
As of February 28, 2025, since the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana in 2015, Tamil Nadu has recorded the highest disbursal among states at ?3,23,647.76 crore. Uttar Pradesh follows with ?3,14,360.86 crore, while Karnataka ranks third with ?3,02,146.41 crore. West Bengal and Bihar have also seen significant disbursals of ?2,82,322.94 crore and ?2,81,943.31 crore respectively. Maharashtra stands sixth at ?2,74,402.02 crore, reflecting the scheme’s broad reach and impact across key states over the past decade.
Among Union Territories, Jammu and Kashmir leads with a total disbursal of ?45,815.92 crore across 21,33,342 loan accounts. The figures underscore the role of the scheme in expanding access to credit
and promoting self-employment, not just across states but also in Union Territories.
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Funding the Unfunded
Micro enterprises constitute a major economic segment in our country and provides large employment after agriculture. This segment includes micro units engaged in manufacturing, processing, trading and services sector. It provides employment to nearly 10 crore people. Many of these units are proprietary/ single ownership or Own Account enterprises and many a time referred as Non-Corporate Small Business sector.
Mission, Vision and Purpose of PMMY
Salient Features of the Scheme
Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) under the Micro Units Development and Refinancing Agency (MUDRA) was set up by Government of India for development and refinancing activities relating to micro units. PMMY ensures collateral-free institutional credit up to Rs 20 lakh is provided by Member Lending Institutions (MLIs) i.e. Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs), Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) and Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs).
Under the scheme, three categories of interventions have been formulated which include:
Tarun Plus: Loans above ?10 lakh and up to ?20 lakh (designed specifically for Tarun category, who have previously availed and successfully repaid loans)
International Recognition
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has consistently acknowledged the impact of the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) in expanding financial access and promoting inclusive entrepreneurship in India.
In 2017, the IMF noted that the scheme has been instrumental in enabling women-led businesses to access finance. It highlighted how PMMY complements PMJDY’s focus on unbanked households by providing collateral-free loans to micro, small, and medium-sized businesses.
In 2019, the IMF further praised PMMY, stating that the scheme under the Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency plays a vital role in developing and refinancing micro enterprises by supporting financial institutions that lend to businesses engaged in manufacturing, trading and services.
By 2023, the IMF highlighted that the collateral-free loan structure of PMMY, with its emphasis on women’s entrepreneurship, has significantly contributed to the growth of women-owned MSMEs, which now exceed 2.8 million.
In its 2024 release, the IMF reaffirmed that India’s enabling policy environment for entrepreneurship, through programmes such as PMMY, is actively contributing to increased self-employment and formalisation through credit access.
Conclusion
In ten years, Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana has consistently demonstrated the power of financial inclusion and the strength of grassroots innovation. Before 2014, access to credit often favoured the well-connected, while small entrepreneurs faced hurdles like complex paperwork or were forced to rely on informal finance. Banks handed out reckless loans to large corporates, while genuine borrowers lost access to credit. MUDRA stepped into this vacuum, offering a cleaner, inclusive alternative that gave everyone an equal chance.
With over 52 crore loans sanctioned, the scheme has empowered women, SC/ST/OBC communities, and rural entrepreneurs by expanding access to formal credit. The rise in average loan size, growing share of MSME credit, and the shift from micro to small enterprises reflect its growing impact.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelPMMY is not only fuelling self-employment and job creation, but also strengthening India’s grassroots economy and advancing equitable growth.
References
https://www.mudra.org.in/
https://www.mudra.org.in/mudra-kahaniyaan-v2/index.html
https://dea.gov.in/sites/default/files/Annual%20Report%202024-25%20%28English%29.pdf
https://bank.sbi/documents/13958/43951007/10+Years+of+PMMY_SBI+Report.pdf/93f97f57-e655-dcfc-0733-cd638e82fe0e?t=1743585995479
https://sansad.in/getFile/annex/267/AU2780_BTT0uC.pdf?source=pqars
https://bank.sbi/documents/13958/43951007/10+Years+of+PMMY_SBI+Report.pdf/93f97f57-e655-dcfc-0733-cd638e82fe0e?t=1743585995479
Ministry of Finance
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Poshan Pakhwada 2025 (8th April to 23rd April)
07 APR 2025, New Delhi
Summary:
7th edition of Poshan Pakhwada is being organised from 8th April to 22nd April 2025.
Poshan Abhiyan aims to promote a healthy and nutritious diet among children and women with the blend of technology and tradition.
Poshan Pakhwada 2025 focuess on the first 1,000 Days of child’s life as it is a critical period for child development.
Use of technology - Poshan Tracker enables real-time monitoring of nutrition services at Anganwadi Centers.
Beneficiaries can now self-register via the Poshan Tracker Web App for improved access.
Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) Protocol helps in early detection and community-based management of malnutrition.
Poshan Pakhwada also focuses on childhood obesity by promoting healthier food choices.
Introduction
Every child deserves a healthy start, every mother deserves proper nourishment, and every family deserves access to nutritious food. Yet, for millions in India, malnutrition remains a silent crisis—one that affects not just individuals but the very future of the nation. Recognizing the need for transformative action, the government launched Poshan Abhiyaan on March 8, 2018—a flagship program aimed at improving nutritional outcomes for women and children through a holistic approach. One of its key initiatives, Poshan Pakhwada, has emerged as a powerful platform to raise awareness and promote community participation in addressing malnutrition.
7th edition of Poshan Pakhwada
Poshan Pakhwada, an annual nutrition awareness drive, is not just another campaign—it is a clarion call for action. In 2025, the seventh edition of Poshan Pakhwada will be observed from April 8 to April 23. With themes centered on maternal and infant nutrition, digital accessibility for beneficiaries, and combating childhood obesity, the 7th Edition of Poshan Pakhwada focuses on outcome-based interventions to enhance nutritional well-being.
Poshan Pakhwada 2025 Activities
Poshan Pakhwada 2025 is a step towards building a nutritious Bharat with the main focus on women and children. All the ministries and departments of the Government of India along with Anganwadi Centers across the country are organising various activities to sensitize the community to:
Prioritize antenatal care, proper nutrition, and regular health checkups.
Pledge for a healthier future - eat healthy, stay active, and spread awareness.
Eat a balanced and healthy diet.
Drink 8 glasses of water daily.
Register on the Poshan Tracker App.
Why the First 1,000 Days Matter?
Imagine a mother, newly expecting, eager to give her child the best start in life. The food she eats, the healthcare she receives, and the guidance she gets in these crucial early months shape not just her baby’s physical health but also shape their mental and emotional health. The first 1,000 days—from conception to a child’s second birthday—are the most critical for physical growth and brain development. During this time, a baby’s body and mind grow at an incredible speed, laying the foundation for their future learning, immunity, and overall health. Good nutrition, love, care, and early learning experiences during this time can help them grow into a healthy, smart, and happy individual.
Therefore, Poshan Abhiyan has given a special emphasis on the first 1000 days of life, which is actually the magic window for any child. Through this year’s themes, Poshan Pakhwada 2025 aims to educate families about the importance of maternal nutrition, proper breastfeeding practices, and the role of a balanced diet in preventing childhood stunting and anemia. The emphasis is also on local solutions—promoting traditional nutritious foods, especially in tribal areas where indigenous diets hold the key to better health.
Technology Meets Tradition
What if every child’s growth, every mother’s health, and every meal served at an Anganwadi Center could be tracked in real time? What if technology could ensure that no child is left behind in the fight against malnutrition? This is no longer a ‘what if’, it is the reality with Poshan Tracker.
Launched on March 1, 2021, this AI-enabled platform has replaced bulky registers with real-time tracking via smartphones, empowering Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) to efficiently manage attendance, growth monitoring, meal distribution, and early childhood education—all at their fingertips. The success of the application can be traced from the fact that as on 28 February 2025, all Anganwadi Centres in India are registered on the Poshan Tracker application. For the first time, the eligible beneficiaries—pregnant women, lactating mothers, adolescent girls, and children (0-6 years)—can self-register via the Poshan Tracker Web Application.
Through Poshan Pakhwada 2025, the government is encouraging greater participation from families as well, ensuring that beneficiaries have access to the app to monitor their own nutritional progress.
Tackling Malnutrition at the Grassroots with CMAM
Technology has made the lives of Anganwadi Workers easy by providing them with a standardized guide in the form of the Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) Protocol. Launched in October 2023 by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD), with inputs from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the CMAM protocol is a game-changer. For the first time, Anganwadi workers have a structured approach to detect, refer, and treat malnourished children in their own communities.
During Poshan Pakhwada 2025, this protocol takes center stage. The goal is to turn every Anganwadi into a frontline nutrition clinic—where appetite tests are routine, referrals are timely, and every child gets a chance to grow stronger. Communities will be sensitized, families will be informed, and data will be fed into the Poshan Tracker to guide policy with precision.
Fighting Childhood Obesity Through Healthy Lifestyles
Malnutrition isn’t just about underweight children—it’s also about overweight children. While India continues its fight against undernutrition, there’s a growing challenge—childhood obesity. In today’s world, children are increasingly exposed to high-fat, high-sugar, high-salt, energy-dense, and micronutrient-poor foods.
According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5 (2019-21), the percentage of children under 5 years who are overweight has increased from 2.1% in 2015-16 (NFHS-4) to 3.4% in 2019-21 at the national level.
To address the consumption of foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) and promotion of healthy snacks in schools of India, the Ministry of Women and Child Development constituted a working group in 2015. The recommendations of the group were:
Ban the sale of all HFSS foods in school canteens and restrict their sale by private vendors within 200 meters of schools during school hours.
School canteens should always offer green category foods like fruits and vegetables.
Orange category foods such as confectionary and fried items are not recommended in school canteens.
Use of hydrogenated oils should be totally banned in school canteens.
Physical activity should be mandatory in schools.
In a circular dated 12th April 2012, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) also issued and directed affiliated schools to ensure that junk/fast food is replaced completely with healthy snacks. The circular also directed schools to replace carbonated and aerated beverages by juices and dairy products (Lassi, Chach, Flavoured Milk etc.).
Conclusion
Poshan Pakhwada 2025 is more than just an awareness campaign—it’s a movement to transform nutrition, one mother, one child, and one meal at a time. By combining tradition with technology, empowering Anganwadi workers, and involving communities, India is taking bold steps towards a healthier, stronger generation.
But real change begins with you. Whether it’s adopting healthier eating habits, educating those around you, or ensuring every eligible beneficiary is registered on the Poshan Tracker, every action counts. This Poshan Pakhwada, let’s pledge to be a part of the solution—because a nourished India is a stronger India!(KNS)