National SC-ST Hub: Powering Inclusive Entrepreneurship
The National SC-ST Hub (NSSH) Scheme, launched on 18 October 2016 and implemented through the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC), provides comprehensive support to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe-owned Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSEs) to address barriers across their growth journey. The scheme focuses on enabling participation in public procurement while building enterprise capabilities through finance, technology, training, mentoring, and market linkages.
As of 31st July 2026, NSSH has assisted 190,414 beneficiaries and trained 54,499 candidates. The scheme has driven a remarkable 39-fold increase in procurement from SC/ST-owned MSEs, growing from ₹99.37 crore in 2015-16 to ₹4,013.42 crore in 2025-26. During 2025-26, procurement was recorded from 12,524 MSEs, while 10,717 candidates were trained through 47 institutions across 27 States, including 24 Aspirational Districts, with 55% of trained candidates being women.
Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Assam emerged as the five leading States under NSSH. Training programs were specifically aligned with public procurement and Government e-Marketplace (GeM) opportunities, covering areas such as cafeteria management and food production, welding and Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM), laundry services, fashion designing and tailoring, and bamboo-based work.
Comprehensive Support Programs
The scheme encompasses seven specialized support mechanisms: Special Credit Linked Capital Subsidy Scheme (SCLCSS) provides 25% capital subsidy capped at ₹25 lakh for plant, machinery and equipment purchases, supporting 3,160 MSEs with ₹356.10 crore since inception until March 2026 across 233 districts in 27 States and UTs. Single Point Registration Scheme (SPRS) helps MSEs access Government procurement with free tender sets and exemption from Earnest Money Deposit payment, supporting the mandatory 4% procurement allocation for SC/ST-owned MSEs under the Public Procurement Policy.
Special Marketing Assistance Scheme (SMAS) facilitated 141 SC/ST MSEs to participate in 4 domestic exhibitions during 2025-26, organized 247 Special Vendor Development Programmes with CPSEs, conducted 197 e-tendering workshops, and held 230 awareness workshops with Central Public Sector Enterprises and Government departments. International exhibition support provides up to ₹3 lakh for micro, ₹2.5 lakh for small, and ₹1.5 lakh for medium enterprises.
Additional support includes Bank Loan Processing Reimbursement Scheme (80% reimbursement or ₹1 lakh, whichever lower), Bank Guarantee Charges Reimbursement Scheme (80% reimbursement or ₹1 lakh, whichever lower for Performance Bank Guarantee charges), Testing Fee Reimbursement Scheme (80% reimbursement or ₹1 lakh, whichever lower for BIS testing), Export Promotion Council Membership Reimbursement Scheme (80% reimbursement or ₹20,000, whichever lower), Capacity Building Management Fee Reimbursement Scheme (90% reimbursement or ₹1 lakh, whichever lower for management training), and Membership Fee reimbursement for Government-promoted e-commerce portals including GeM, e-Khadi, TRIFED, Tribes India, and MSME Mart (80% reimbursement or ₹25,000, whichever lower).
Business Accelerator Programme Success
The Business Accelerator Programme (BAP) provides structured mentorship across business strategy, pricing, operational efficiency, and market positioning. Success stories include M/s Safety & Security Engineering, West Bengal, which secured tenders worth ₹8.48 lakh from Power Grid Corporation of India Limited; M/s Renergy Solution Pvt. Ltd., Assam, which improved engagement with procurement platforms; and Sawalaram Enterprises, Maharashtra, which secured a ₹5.10 lakh SAIL tender for hydraulic cylinders.