Vanchit Ikai Samooh Aur Vargon Ko Aarthik Sahayata Yojana (VISVAS)

What is VISVAS Yojana?

Vanchit Ikai Samooh Aur Vargon Ko Aarthik Sahayata Yojana (VISVAS) is a Central Sector interest-subvention scheme run by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. VISVAS is designed to reduce the cost of credit for Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Safai Karamcharis so that people from these groups can borrow for self-employment and small enterprise without carrying the full interest burden of a market loan.

According to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, VISVAS provides an interest subvention of 5% per year on eligible loans taken for income-generating activity. The scheme does not lend money directly. Instead, a beneficiary takes a loan from a participating lending institution, repays it on schedule, and the 5% interest component is reimbursed, lowering the effective interest they pay.

Key features

• Central Sector scheme funded by the Government of India.
• Interest subvention of 5% per year on eligible income-generating loans.
• Delivered through two apex corporations; NBCFDC (for OBC) and NSKFDC (for Safai Karamcharis).
• Covers both individual borrowers and Self-Help Groups (SHGs).
• Loans must be taken from lending institutions that have an agreement with the implementing corporation.

VISVAS sits alongside the concessional-loan products that NBCFDC and NSKFDC already offer. Its distinct role is the interest subsidy: it makes an ordinary income-generating loan cheaper for the target communities rather than creating a new loan window.

Who is eligible for VISVAS Yojana?

You can apply if you belong to one of the target groups:

• OBC individuals whose annual family income is up to Rs 3 lakh.
• Safai Karamcharis, including identified manual scavengers, waste pickers and their dependents. Safai Karamchari beneficiaries have no income ceiling.
• Self-Help Groups in which a large majority of members belong to these communities and which take a loan for a collective income-generating activity.

In every case the loan must be for an income-generating purpose, a small business, trade, service activity, or livelihood asset, and must be taken from a lending institution that participates in VISVAS through NBCFDC or NSKFDC.

You cannot apply if:

• You are not from the OBC or Safai Karamchari target groups.
• You are an OBC applicant whose annual family income exceeds Rs 3 lakh.
• The loan is for consumption, personal use or any non-income-generating purpose.
• The loan is taken from a lender that is not a participating institution under the scheme.

Because VISVAS is a targeted community scheme, the OBC/Safai Karamchari status and the income test (for OBC) are the gatekeepers. There is no general-public route into the subsidy.

How much does VISVAS Yojana provide?

VISVAS provides an interest subvention of 5% per year on the interest that accrues on eligible loans. According to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the subvention applies to income-generating loans up to Rs 5 lakh for an individual beneficiary and up to Rs 5 lakh for a Self-Help Group.

The benefit is not paid as cash up front. The beneficiary services the loan normally, and the 5% interest subvention on eligible, regularly repaid loans is reimbursed through the lending institution and credited to the beneficiary. Loans that fall into default or are diverted to a non-eligible purpose lose the subvention.

What documents are required for VISVAS Yojana?

Requirements can vary slightly between NBCFDC and NSKFDC channels and between State Channelising Agencies, so confirm the exact list with the agency handling your loan.

How to apply for VISVAS Yojana

1. Confirm you belong to the target group — OBC (family income up to Rs 3 lakh) or Safai Karamchari, and that your intended loan is for an income-generating activity.
2. Approach a participating lending institution or the State Channelising Agency of NBCFDC (for OBC) or NSKFDC (for Safai Karamcharis) and apply for the underlying loan.
3. Ensure the loan is registered under VISVAS on the scheme portal at visvas.dosje.gov.in so it is tagged for interest subvention.
4. Repay the loan on schedule. The interest subvention is claimed by the lending institution and reimbursed to your bank account for regularly repaid, eligible loans.

Because the subvention rides on top of a loan, the practical first step is always the loan application through an NBCFDC/NSKFDC channel partner. There is no standalone "apply for subvention" form for the general public.

Who runs VISVAS and where to get help

VISVAS is implemented by two apex corporations under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment:

• NBCFDC (National Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation) for OBC beneficiaries, helpline 011-45854400, website nbcfdc.gov.in.
• NSKFDC (National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation) for Safai Karamcharis: helpline 011-26382476.

Both corporations work through State Channelising Agencies and partner banks, so the fastest local contact is usually the SCA in your state or the branch of the participating bank handling your loan. No agent or middleman can charge a fee to "add" you to the interest-subvention scheme.