National SC-ST Hub Scheme

What is the National SC-ST Hub scheme?

National SC-ST Hub (NSSH) is a central sector scheme of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, implemented by the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC). NSSH exists for one measurable purpose: to help SC/ST-owned micro and small enterprises actually capture the 4% share of central government procurement reserved for them under the Public Procurement Policy for MSEs Order 2012.

According to the scsthub.in portal, that policy requires every Central Ministry, Department and Central Public Sector Enterprise to source at least 25% of its annual purchases from micro and small enterprises, with 4 percentage points out of that 25% earmarked for SC/ST-owned MSEs and a further 3% for women-owned MSEs. National SC-ST Hub builds the supply side of that obligation through subsidy, reimbursement, registration support, vendor development programmes and training.

How NSSH works in practice

• Capacity building and mentoring for existing and prospective SC/ST entrepreneurs.
• Special Vendor Development Programmes that put SC/ST suppliers in front of the CPSEs that are supposed to buy from them.
• A set of cash benefits, one capital subsidy and several fee reimbursements, that reduce the cost of getting tender-ready.

Who is eligible for the National SC-ST Hub scheme?

You can apply if:

• Your enterprise is owned by a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe entrepreneur and holds a valid Udyam Registration as a micro or small enterprise.
• The constitution is a sole proprietorship, partnership, co-operative, society or private limited company.
• For SCLCSS, the enterprise is in manufacturing or services and is buying new plant, machinery or equipment eligible for a term loan from a Prime Lending Institution.
• For the training reimbursement, you are an SC/ST entrepreneur or the ward of one, attending a short course of 1 to 30 days at an institute in the NIRF top 50 management institutions.

You cannot apply if:

• The enterprise is not owned by an SC or ST entrepreneur; there is no general-category route into this scheme.
• The enterprise is engaged in trading activities, which are explicitly not eligible for the SCLCSS subsidy.
• You have already taken a Central or State subsidy for the same plant and machinery; a unit availing SCLCSS is barred from claiming any other subsidy on the same equipment, and vice versa.
• The claim is filed more than one year after the last term loan instalment was disbursed for the machinery.
• The enterprise is medium-sized. The capital subsidy is for micro and small enterprises only.

What documents are required for the National SC-ST Hub scheme?

How to apply for National SC-ST Hub benefits

1. Complete Udyam Registration at udyamregistration.gov.in if you have not already, and keep your caste certificate ready — both are the entry conditions for every NSSH component.
2. Open scsthub.in and go to the Sub Schemes section, which lists each component with its own guidelines, "Show Interest" link, online application and downloadable form.
3. For the capital subsidy (SCLCSS), first take the term loan for the machinery from your bank, then submit the subsidy claim with supporting documents to that lending bank. The nodal bank uploads it to the MIS portal; where the lender is not a nodal bank, SIDBI or NABARD releases the subsidy.
4. For reimbursement components: loan processing charges, bank guarantee charges, testing fees, EPC membership, e-commerce membership or training fees; apply online on scsthub.in in the same financial year, attaching the paid receipts.
5. For Single Point Registration, apply online at nsicspronline.com or in duplicate on the prescribed form at the nearest NSIC zonal, branch or NSSH office; the form is free of cost.
6. For marketing support, watch the SMAS calendar of domestic and international exhibitions on scsthub.in and apply for a specific event.
7. Track your claim through the NSSH dashboards on the portal, or contact the National SC-ST Hub Office (NSSHO) nearest to you using the branch locator.

How much does National SC-ST Hub pay?

Special Credit Linked Capital Subsidy Scheme (SCLCSS); introduced in 2017, this gives 25% subsidy on the cost of new plant, machinery or equipment bought through institutional credit, with an overall ceiling of Rs 25 lakh on the subsidy and no sector-specific restriction. The revised NSSH guidelines dated 15 November 2021 extended it to service sector enterprises.

Reimbursement components, each in a financial year:

All ceilings are exclusive of GST and other applicable taxes.

Special Marketing Assistance Scheme (SMAS) covers six kinds of event. For participation in an international exhibition abroad, SMAS pays 100% of built-up stall charges on the minimum stall size, 100% of economy-class airfare by the shortest route for one SC/ST representative, a daily allowance at double the country rate in the MEA guidelines, and freight of up to Rs 30,000, with total budgetary support capped at Rs 3 lakh for a micro, Rs 2.5 lakh for a small and Rs 1.5 lakh for a medium SC/ST enterprise per event. For organising a visit to an international fair the cap is Rs 1.5 lakh per enterprise, and for a domestic fair visit the travel fare is reimbursed up to Rs 10,000.

Single Point Registration Scheme (SPRS) registration with NSIC brings free tender sets, exemption from Earnest Money Deposit, and the right for an MSE quoting within L1 plus 15% to supply up to 25% of the requirement by matching the L1 price where L1 is a non-MSE.

How NSSH relates to other MSME schemes

National SC-ST Hub is a demand-side and cost-side scheme; it does not lend money. For the loan itself, an SC/ST entrepreneur would typically use PMEGP for a new micro enterprise or a CGTMSE-guaranteed bank loan, and then claim the SCLCSS subsidy on the machinery bought with it. Cluster infrastructure for SC/ST-heavy clusters is funded separately under MSE-CDP, which offers an enhanced 90% grant where more than half the units are SC/ST or women-owned.

Help and grievance redressal

• Toll-free helpline: 1800-11-1954
• Phone: 011-26926275 (extensions 140 and 259)
• Email: nsshsupport@nsic.co.in
• Address: National SC-ST Hub, NSIC Bhawan, Okhla Industrial Estate, New Delhi 110020
• Field offices: National SC-ST Hub Offices across states, listed with a branch locator on scsthub.in

No agent or facilitator is authorised to charge a fee for registering an SC/ST enterprise on scsthub.in or for filing a subsidy claim.