ESDP Statistics 2026: Programmes and Beneficiaries Year by Year
· 1 min read · 2 official sources
The Entrepreneurship Skill Development Programme reached 7,59,882 people through 16,701 programmes in 2025-26, the highest in any year so far, according to the ESDP dashboard of the Office of the DC (MSME). Since 2018-19 the scheme has run 50,075 programmes for 22,72,842 beneficiaries. Year-wise figures are below.
Entrepreneurship Skill Development Programme (ESDP): key numbers
Infographic
ESDP beneficiaries by financial year
Number of people trained under ESDP in each financial year, as shown on the ESDP dashboard of the Office of the Development Commissioner (MSME). The 2026-27 row covers only part of the year.
| Financial year | Beneficiaries | Programmes |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 9,505 | 265 |
| 2019-20 | 2,45,510 | 6,278 |
| 2020-21 | 27,664 | 530 |
| 2021-22 | 59,702 | 715 |
| 2022-23 | 2,18,692 | 4,732 |
| 2023-24 | 3,47,042 | 7,497 |
| 2024-25 | 5,70,139 | 12,579 |
| 2025-26 | 7,59,882 | 16,701 |
| 2026-27 (so far) | 34,706 | 778 |
Source: msmedi.dcmsme.gov.in, as on 18 October 2026
ESDP programmes held by financial year
Number of training programmes (awareness, entrepreneurship and skill development courses) conducted under ESDP in each year, from the same dashboard.
| Financial year | Programmes |
|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 265 |
| 2019-20 | 6,278 |
| 2020-21 | 530 |
| 2021-22 | 715 |
| 2022-23 | 4,732 |
| 2023-24 | 7,497 |
| 2024-25 | 12,579 |
| 2025-26 | 16,701 |
| 2026-27 (so far) | 778 |
Source: msmedi.dcmsme.gov.in, as on 18 October 2026
How an ESDP programme reaches a trainee
What the numbers show
ESDP is now one of the largest free training schemes of the MSME Ministry by headcount. The dashboard run by the Office of the Development Commissioner (MSME) shows 7,59,882 beneficiaries in 2025-26, trained through 16,701 programmes. Since the dashboard began in 2018-19, the scheme has recorded 22,72,842 beneficiaries and 50,075 programmes.
The trend over the years
The numbers have moved sharply. After 2,45,510 beneficiaries in 2019-20, the count fell to 27,664 in 2020-21, the year of Covid-19 restrictions on classroom training. It recovered slowly in 2021-22 (59,702) and then rose every year: 2,18,692 in 2022-23, 3,47,042 in 2023-24, 5,70,139 in 2024-25 and 7,59,882 in 2025-26. The number of programmes followed the same path, from 530 in 2020-21 to 16,701 in 2025-26.
The figures for 2026-27 cover only the first part of the year, so they are much lower than a full year and should not be read as a fall.
What the figures do not tell you
A beneficiary here is a person who attended an ESDP programme. Many programmes are short awareness sessions of a day or two, while others are skill courses of several weeks, and the dashboard does not split the count by course length. It also does not say how many trainees went on to start a business or find a job. The same person can attend more than one programme and be counted again.
The dashboard does not put a date on its totals. We read them on 18 October 2026, and they change as new programmes are entered.
Where to check the live numbers
The ESDP portal at msmedi.dcmsme.gov.in shows the year-wise table, the total programmes, beneficiaries and expenditure, and the training calendar. Local MSME Development and Facilitation Offices publish their own calendars of upcoming courses.
Frequently asked questions
How many people were trained under ESDP in 2025-26?
The ESDP dashboard shows 7,59,882 beneficiaries in 16,701 programmes in 2025-26. That was more than in 2024-25, when 5,70,139 people were trained in 12,579 programmes.
How many people has ESDP trained in total?
The dashboard counts 22,72,842 beneficiaries across 50,075 programmes from 2018-19 onwards, as read on 18 October 2026. The total keeps rising as programmes for 2026-27 are added.
How much has been spent on ESDP?
The dashboard shows total expenditure incurred of Rs 2,98,42,28,598.1, which is about Rs 298.42 crore, for the programmes recorded on it.
Why was 2020-21 so low?
Only 530 programmes and 27,664 beneficiaries were recorded in 2020-21. The dashboard gives no reason, but this was the year of Covid-19 restrictions on classroom training. Numbers picked up again from 2022-23.
Where can I see the live ESDP figures?
The ESDP portal at msmedi.dcmsme.gov.in shows year-wise programmes and beneficiaries on its home page, along with the training calendar for the current year.
Eligibility, documents and how to apply: Entrepreneurship Skill Development Programme (ESDP) full guide
Charts, data files and the infographic are free to download, share and embed with a link back to this page.
Sources
This guide was checked against these official pages:
- msmedi.dcmsme.gov.in (msmedi.dcmsme.gov.in/)
- dcmsme.gov.in (www.dcmsme.gov.in/Enterprise&skillDevelopment.htm)