UP Government Launches Statewide Drive to Promote Youth Entrepreneurship Through Interest-Free Loans
In a bold and expansive effort to transform the employment landscape for young graduates, the Uttar Pradesh government has launched an ambitious campaign to identify and support aspiring entrepreneurs across all 75 districts of the state.
The initiative, operating under the banner of the Mukhyamantri Yuva Udyami Vikas Abhiyan (CM-YUVA), aims to shift the youth mindset from job-seeking to job-creation by providing substantial financial and technical assistance to deserving candidates.
Special Task Forces Mobilised to Identify Eligible Candidates
Under the directive of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, special task forces comprising district-level officials have been deployed to visit universities, engineering colleges, polytechnics, and other higher education institutions.
Their mission is to engage directly with final-year students and identify those graduates who remain unemployed despite completing their education.
Once identified and verified, these candidates will be assessed for eligibility to receive interest-free and collateral-free loans of up to ₹5 lakh—a move designed to reduce financial barriers for aspiring entrepreneurs, especially those from modest socio-economic backgrounds.
“From Job Seekers to Job Creators”: The Core Mission
According to Sarveshwar Shukla, Joint Commissioner of Industries and the nodal officer overseeing CM-YUVA, the initiative is rooted in the government’s larger vision of empowering the state’s youth.
“The primary goal is to provide every educated, driven, and progressive-thinking youth with the tools to launch their businesses,” Shukla said. “We want to help them become employers, not employees.”
In addition to financial support, the scheme includes comprehensive technical assistance, ranging from business planning guidance to mentorship, to ensure that beneficiaries can effectively launch and sustain their ventures.
Capacity Building to Ensure Smooth Rollout
Recognising the scale and complexity of such an initiative, the state government recently held a two-day capacity-building workshop in Lucknow, aimed at training the officials responsible for implementing the scheme at the grassroots level.
These sessions focused on strengthening operational efficiency, improving the functionality of the CM Yuva Portal, and standardising best practices across districts.
The trained officials are now set to begin intensive outreach activities, including campus visits, registration drives, and one-on-one consultations to help youth enroll in the scheme.
Overwhelming Response from Youth: Thousands Already Funded
The state’s young population has responded enthusiastically to the initiative. As per official figures, over 2.5 lakh applications have already been submitted by youth eager to take advantage of the opportunity.
Out of these, 1.10 lakh applications have been successfully forwarded to banks for further processing.
So far, loans have been sanctioned to more than 53,000 applicants, with 40,000 already disbursed funds and kick-starting their entrepreneurial journeys.
New Wave of Youth-Led Startups Emerging in Diverse Sectors
The scheme has led to a surge in first-generation entrepreneurs launching small and medium-sized businesses across diverse sectors. Among the most popular ventures are those in cake manufacturing, digital marketing, interior design, solar panel installation, tattoo artistry, laundry services, and bottled mineral water production.
These young entrepreneurs are not only carving out a livelihood for themselves but are also beginning to generate employment opportunities for others in their community, fulfilling the very essence of the CM-YUVA campaign.
A Transformational Shift in Youth Empowerment
The government’s initiative comes at a time when the demand for meaningful employment among educated youth is at an all-time high.
By removing entry barriers such as loan interest, collateral requirements, and lack of technical knowledge, the CM-YUVA scheme is setting a new precedent in state-led youth empowerment.
With the groundwork now laid and implementation in full swing, Uttar Pradesh is witnessing a transformational shift in how young people are entering the workforce—not as job applicants, but as business founders and innovation leaders.
This forward-thinking initiative not only has the potential to reshape the economic future of thousands of young individuals but could also serve as a replicable model for other states looking to address youth unemployment through entrepreneurship.
