The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment published a case study demonstrating the impact of Swachhta Udyami Yojana (SUY), a component of the NAMASTE scheme, through the success story of Satish Kumar, a 54-year-old sanitation worker from Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. Kumar transitioned from contractual sanitation work earning ₹13,000–₹15,000 per month to self-employment as a Sewer Suction Machine owner-operator after receiving financial assistance through the scheme.
Kumar learned about the program during an awareness camp organized by Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation and applied for assistance. He received a loan of ₹5.91 lakh from Canara Bank along with an upfront capital subsidy of ₹3.64 lakh from National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC), enabling him to procure a Sewer Suction Machine with a total project cost of ₹9.55 lakh.
The intervention resulted in significant financial improvement, with Kumar now earning approximately ₹50,000 per month operating his own machine. After meeting expenses including EMI payments, fuel, and maintenance costs, he saves around ₹25,000 monthly. The case study highlights how financial assistance and access to mechanized equipment can help sanitation workers overcome economic constraints and achieve sustainable livelihoods through entrepreneurship.