Government schemes for women in India fall into five groups: maternity and health support, cooking gas and household needs, loans and livelihood for women who want to earn, savings for women and daughters, and safety services. Most central schemes are applied for through a bank, an Anganwadi centre, a gas distributor or an official portal, and almost all need an Aadhaar-linked bank account.
The quickest way to see what you qualify for is to enter your age, state, income and occupation on myscheme.gov.in, the central government's scheme finder. The sections below explain the schemes women ask about most, with the eligibility and the official place to apply. You can also browse every scheme guide on our government schemes hub .
Central government schemes for women at a glance
| Scheme | Who can apply | Main benefit | Where to apply |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) | Pregnant women and new mothers meeting the scheme criteria | Cash benefit in the bank account for the first child, and for a second child if it is a girl | Anganwadi centre or pmmvy.wcd.gov.in |
| Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) | Adult women from poor households without an LPG connection | Deposit-free LPG connection | LPG distributor or pmuy.gov.in |
| Stand-Up India | Women entrepreneurs (and SC/ST entrepreneurs) aged 18 or above | Bank loan from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore for a new enterprise | Any scheduled commercial bank or standupmitra.in |
| PM Mudra Yojana | Small non-farm businesses, open to all, widely used by women | Collateral-free business loans through banks and lenders | Bank branch or the Udyamimitra portal |
| Lakhpati Didi (DAY-NRLM) | Women in self-help groups in rural areas | Training, credit and market links to earn at least Rs 1 lakh a year | Block or district rural livelihood mission office |
| Mission Shakti (One Stop Centres, 181) | Any woman facing violence or distress | Shelter, police help, legal and medical aid, counselling | Call 181 or visit the district One Stop Centre |
Maternity and health support
Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)
PMMVY pays a cash benefit directly into the mother's bank account to make up for lost wages and to support nutrition during pregnancy. Under the current version of the scheme (part of Mission Shakti), the benefit is Rs 5,000 for the first child, paid in instalments linked to pregnancy registration and check-ups, and Rs 6,000 for the second child if the second child is a girl. Women who are regular employees of the central or state government or a public sector unit, or who get a similar benefit under another law, are not covered.
To apply, register the pregnancy at your nearest Anganwadi centre or health facility. The Anganwadi worker fills the form on the PMMVY portal. Keep your Aadhaar, bank passbook, Mother and Child Protection (MCP) card and mobile number ready.
Janani Suraksha Yojana and free maternity care
Janani Suraksha Yojana, under the National Health Mission, gives cash help for delivery in a government or accredited hospital, with priority for poor families. Separately, delivery and newborn care in public health facilities is meant to be free. Ask the ASHA worker in your village or ward to register you early.
Ujjwala: free LPG connection for women
Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana gives a deposit-free LPG connection in the name of an adult woman from a poor household that does not already have one. The application can be made at any LPG distributor (Indane, Bharat Gas or HP Gas) or online at pmuy.gov.in. You need Aadhaar, a bank account, proof of address and a ration card or a self-declaration as the scheme allows. Ujjwala households also receive a targeted subsidy on refills; the amount and the number of subsidised refills are set by the government from time to time, so check the current figure with your distributor.
Indian government schemes for women's employment and business
Stand-Up India requires every bank branch to support at least one woman borrower and at least one SC or ST borrower with a loan between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 crore for a greenfield (new) enterprise in manufacturing, services, trading or agri-allied activities. For non-individual firms, at least 51% of the shareholding must be held by a woman or an SC/ST entrepreneur. You can apply directly at a bank branch or through standupmitra.in, which also lists handholding agencies.
PM Mudra Yojana offers loans in three categories: Shishu (up to Rs 50,000), Kishore (above Rs 50,000 up to Rs 5 lakh) and Tarun (above Rs 5 lakh). Mudra is open to everyone, but a large share of small borrowers are women running tailoring units, beauty parlours, shops and food businesses. No collateral is needed for Mudra loans.
Lakhpati Didi works through self-help groups under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission. It aims to help each SHG member earn a steady income of at least Rs 1 lakh a year through training, bank linkage and support for farm and non-farm work. Under the related Namo Drone Didi initiative, selected women SHGs receive agricultural drones and training to offer spraying services to farmers.
If you would rather have a salaried job, our guide to government jobs for women covers recruitments with relaxed fees and reserved posts.
Government investment schemes for women and daughters
The Mahila Samman Savings Certificate, a two-year small savings scheme for women, closed for new deposits on 31 March 2025. Women who opened an account before that date keep earning interest until the account matures. For fresh savings, women can use the regular post office schemes (Post Office Savings Account, Recurring Deposit, Time Deposit, Monthly Income Scheme, Public Provident Fund and National Savings Certificate). Interest rates on these are revised every quarter, so check the current rate on the India Post or National Savings Institute website before investing.
For a daughter below 10 years, the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana is usually the first choice. See our separate guide to schemes for the girl child for its rules.
Schemes for housewives and women without a job
- Atal Pension Yojana: a homemaker aged 18 to 40 with a savings account can join and get a guaranteed pension of Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000 a month from age 60. People who pay income tax cannot join.
- Insurance at low cost: PMJJBY and PMSBY give life and accident cover through your bank account. Details are in our page on government insurance schemes .
- Health cover: if your family is eligible, the Ayushman Bharat card gives free hospital treatment up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year.
- State cash support: several states pay a monthly amount to eligible women, as listed below.
State schemes: Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Karnataka
- Tamil Nadu: Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai gives monthly financial support to eligible women heads of families, and Pudhumai Penn supports girls from government schools who join higher education. Apply through the Tamil Nadu government portals or your taluk office.
- Maharashtra: Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana pays monthly support to eligible women within the age and income limits set by the state. For business loans, women in Maharashtra mostly use Stand-Up India and Mudra through banks, along with any state startup schemes notified by the Maharashtra government.
- Karnataka: Gruha Lakshmi pays monthly support to the woman head of an eligible family, and the Shakti scheme allows free travel for women in state-run buses within Karnataka.
State amounts and rules change with state budgets, so confirm the current eligibility on the official state portal before you apply.
How to apply: a simple checklist
- Check your eligibility on myscheme.gov.in or the scheme's own portal.
- Make sure your Aadhaar is linked to your bank account and your mobile number is updated in Aadhaar.
- Collect documents: Aadhaar, bank passbook, ration card, income or caste certificate if asked, and a photo.
- Apply at the official point only (Anganwadi, bank, gas distributor, Common Service Centre or the official website).
- Keep the acknowledgement or application number and track the status on the same portal.
Common problems and fixes
- Money not credited: usually the bank account is not Aadhaar-seeded for direct benefit transfer. Ask your bank to enable DBT on the account.
- Name mismatch: the spelling in Aadhaar, bank and the application must match. Correct Aadhaar first, then the bank record.
- Agents asking for fees: none of these schemes charges an application fee for the basic benefit. Do not pay anyone who promises approval.
- Fake scheme messages: Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, for example, is an awareness campaign and pays no cash. Ignore forms circulated on WhatsApp.
Women over 60 should also read our page on schemes for senior citizens . HindiScope is not an official site; confirm every detail on myscheme.gov.in or the scheme portal.