Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
At the CM YUVA Conclave & Expo‑2025 held on July 30 in Lucknow, beneficiaries praised the Mukhyamantri Yuva Udyami Vikas Abhiyan (CM YUVA) for enabling them to become self-reliant by launching their own businesses. Over 68,000 youth have received interest- and collateral-free loans worth approximately ₹2,751 crore, transforming them from job seekers into job creators.(turn0search1turn0news13turn0news12)
Scheme Overview & Impact
Launched in 2018 and significantly scaled in 2024–25, CM YUVA targets youth aged 18–40 with loans of up to ₹5 lakh—sometimes expandable to ₹10 lakh based on performance—with government covering interest for four years. Priority is accorded to women, SC youth, and rural applicants.(turn0search0turn0search3turn0search4)
The scheme complements other initiatives like ODOP and Vishwakarma Shram Samman, reviving traditional crafts and MSMEs across districts. UP has invested over ₹1,000 crore in CM YUVA during 2024–26—including ⬥ applications from more than 3 lakh youth, with over 32,000 funded as of March 2025.(turn0search6turn0search10turn0search7)
Stories of Self‑Reliance
At the Expo, beneficiaries shared their success stories:
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Prabhnoor Kaur (Kanpur): With a ₹4.25 lakh loan, she set up a luxury bakery studio, now employing ten others.
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Vijay Pandey (Lucknow): Uses loan funds to expand wooden toy business into 16 districts, employing 15 artisans.
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Shashank Chaurasia (Lucknow): A pharmacist-turned-photographer, now runs a photography studio with ₹4–5 lakh turnover and hires other youth.
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Tuba Siddiqui (Lucknow): Runs an eco-friendly cleaning products firm, employing ten staff, with access to Delhi-Mumbai markets.
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Amardeep Singh (Sitapur): Opened a physiotherapy centre, now self-employed and employing 4–5 people.
All credited CM YUVA for accessible funding, mentorship, and helping build confidence.(turn0search2turn0news12)
Scheme Enablers & Institutions
UP Mart—a digital portal launched during the Expo—connects youth to machinery suppliers. The initiative includes 17 MoUs with financiers, mentors, and franchise brands. CM Yogi urged enrollment of at least 50 youth per district in the scheme.(turn0search1turn0search3)
High-performing districts include Maharajganj (102% approval rate) and Ambedkar Nagar, Shravasti, Kannauj, among others, fostering micro-enterprises and local job creation.(turn0search9turn0search7)
Inclusivity & Social Empowerment
The scheme also integrates SC youth, women, and the transgender community as beneficiaries:
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Under the SC cluster model, up to ₹50,000 grants serve as margin money, easing access to institutional loans.(turn0search4)
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The Vishwakarma Shram Samman Yojana supports artisans with toolkits and training.
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Transgender individuals are now eligible for loans and economic empowerment within CM YUVA, with district-level mandates ensuring inclusion.(turn0news19)
Skill & Industry Linkages
UP operates over 3,400 ITIs, integrating vocational training with NEP-aligned skilling initiatives. Coordination between MSME, skill missions, and business associations encourages sustainable enterprises. CM emphasised that unemployed youth must gain real-world industry exposure and emerging tech skills like AI and digital literacy.(turn0news17turn0news20)
Strategic Significance & Economic Growth
CM YUVA aligns with UP’s goal of driving a $1‑trillion economy, supporting industrial expansion through schemes like ODOP and MSME promotion. The recent GBC‑5 summit targets ₹5‑10 lakh crore worth of investments, complementing CM YUVA’s grassroots job generation efforts.(turn0news15turn0search21)
Conclusion
UP’s CM YUVA scheme has already empowered tens of thousands of youth to break dependency cycles, start viable businesses, and employ others. With ₹2,751 crore disbursed in 2025 alone and rapid expansion across districts, the initiative has emerged as a model of inclusive economic governance. It underlines a shift—from unemployment relief to youth-led entrepreneurship, making self-reliance a tangible reality across Uttar Pradesh.
