The Union Budget 2025-26 was presented by Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman on 1 February 2025. The budget introduced several new schemes and significant changes to existing ones in areas like agriculture, MSMEs, social welfare, startups, and infrastructure development. Here’s a complete list of key announcements and schemes from Budget 2025:
List of New Government Schemes Proposed in Budget 2025
1. Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana
A new scheme for farmers in 100 districts with low agricultural productivity, aimed at boosting agricultural growth and improving irrigation and storage facilities. Around 1.7 crore farmers will benefit from this initiative.
Key Objectives:
- Increase agricultural productivity and adopt crop diversification
- Improve irrigation and post-harvest storage at the panchayat level
- Provide better access to long-term and short-term credit
2. Rural Prosperity and Resilience Programme
This multi-sectoral programme focuses on rural employment, skilling, and enterprise development. It aims to reduce rural-to-urban migration by creating opportunities in rural areas.
Key Focus Areas:
- Support for young farmers, women entrepreneurs, and small farmers
- Promoting rural businesses and modern agriculture
- Generating employment for rural youth
3. Aatmanirbharta in Pulses
A six-year National Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses will focus on increasing the production of Urad, Tur, and Masoor pulses to reduce dependence on imports. Farmers will get assured prices, and climate-resilient seeds will be promoted.
4. Scheme for First-time Entrepreneurs
A new scheme will offer term loans up to ₹2 crore for 5 lakh women, Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Scheduled Caste (SC) entrepreneurs over the next five years. It also includes online capacity-building programmes for entrepreneurial skills.
5. Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0
This programme will provide nutritional support to around 8 crore children, 1 crore lactating mothers and pregnant women, and 20 lakh adolescent girls, particularly in aspirational districts and northeastern states.
6. Bharatiya Bhasha Pustak Scheme
This scheme will offer digital Indian language books for school and higher education to help students understand subjects better in their regional languages.
7. Social Security Scheme for Online Platform Workers
The government will issue identity cards and register gig workers on the e-Shram portal. About 1 crore gig workers will also get healthcare benefits under the PM Jan Arogya Yojana.
8. SWAMIH Fund 2
A ₹15,000 crore fund will be set up to complete 1 lakh affordable housing units under the Special Window for Affordable and Mid-Income Housing (SWAMIH).
Changes in Existing Schemes
1. Revised MSME Definition
To support MSMEs in scaling up, the investment and turnover limits have been increased:
| Category | Current Investment (₹ Cr) | Revised Investment (₹ Cr) | Current Turnover (₹ Cr) | Revised Turnover (₹ Cr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Micro | 1 | 2.5 | 5 | 10 |
| Small | 10 | 25 | 50 | 100 |
| Medium | 50 | 125 | 250 | 500 |
2. Kisan Credit Cards (KCC)
The loan limit under KCC will be increased from ₹3 lakh to ₹5 lakh for farmers, fishermen, and dairy farmers.
3. Credit Guarantee Fund
- MSMEs: Credit guarantee increased from ₹5 crore to ₹10 crore
- Startups: Guarantee coverage expanded from ₹10 crore to ₹20 crore
- Well-performing exporter MSMEs: Eligible for term loans up to ₹20 crore
A customised credit card with a ₹5 lakh limit will also be launched for micro-enterprises registered on the Udyam portal.
4. Atal Tinkering Labs
The government will set up 50,000 Atal Tinkering Labs in schools over the next five years to promote innovation and scientific curiosity among students.
5. PM SVANidhi Scheme
The PM SVANidhi scheme for street vendors will be revamped with enhanced loans, UPI-linked credit cards with a ₹30,000 limit, and capacity-building support.
6. Jal Jeevan Mission
The mission to provide tap water connections to rural households will be extended until 2028 with an increased budget to cover the remaining 20% of rural homes.
7. UDAN – Regional Connectivity Scheme
The government will launch a modified UDAN scheme to connect 120 new destinations and facilitate travel for 4 crore passengers in the next 10 years.
Infrastructure and Growth Initiatives
1. PM Gati Shakti
The PM Gati Shakti portal will now offer access to geospatial data for better planning of public-private partnership (PPP) infrastructure projects.
2. Employment-Led Growth in Tourism
Key initiatives to boost tourism and create employment:
- Skill development programmes for youth in hospitality management
- MUDRA loans for homestays
- Performance-linked incentives for states to improve tourist destinations
Conclusion
The Union Budget 2025 focuses on agriculture, rural development, startups, MSMEs, infrastructure, and social welfare. These schemes aim to create more opportunities, strengthen economic growth, and improve the quality of life for millions of Indians.
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