October 6, 2025, 08:08 PM | Jaipur
“COVID took away everything — my shop shut down, and it became difficult to even run the household. In those tough times, the PM SVANidhi Scheme became a new ray of hope for me,” says Bhawar Singh, a grocery shop owner from Bundi city, whose life got back on track thanks to this scheme.
Bhawar Singh shares that he had been running a grocery shop for many years, supporting his family through it. However, the COVID-19 pandemic severely affected his business, forcing him to shut down the shop. With no source of income left, his financial situation worsened, and the future looked bleak for his family.
During this difficult phase, he learned about the Prime Minister Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Scheme. He applied for a loan under the scheme and was easily sanctioned the first installment. With this amount, Bhawar Singh gathered the courage to reopen his closed shop. Gradually, business picked up again, and his financial condition began to improve.
Bhawar Singh says, “The scheme not only provided financial support but also taught me new ways to grow my business.” District Project Officer Shalini Jain trained him in digital payments, enabling him to accept online transactions. This led to a noticeable increase in his customer base, as people found it more convenient to pay digitally.
Encouraged by his progress, Bhawar Singh has now taken another step forward. He recently participated in a ‘Urban Service Camp’ and applied for a second loan of ₹25,000 under the scheme to further expand his shop.
An emotional Bhawar Singh says, “I sincerely thank Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, because of whom I am once again living a self-reliant and dignified life.”
