Faridabad, June 1 (AHN) The Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi), in six years of launch on June 1, 2020, has ushered in positive change in the lives of lakhs of street vendors across the country, helping them recover after the pandemic and also making their small-scale ventures self-sustainable.

In Haryana’s Faridabad and Karnal, a couple of street vendors shared their transformative journeys during the tumultuous era that followed COVID-19.

Rajesh Kumar, a resident of Faridabad, told AHN how the PMSVANidhi helped him regain his footing after insurmountable losses.

He has been running a Chole-Bhature shop for years to support his family; however, the mounting challenges during Covid-19 threw up numerous challenges, and it was the PM SVANidhi scheme that came as a beacon of hope.

The loan he received under the scheme helped him sustain and grow his business. Additionally, through webinars conducted by the FSSAI, he gained crucial insights regarding food safety, hygiene, and providing quality service.

He adopted best practices such as maintaining cleanliness, ensuring personal hygiene, and using safe food ingredients.

He states that the scheme not only provided him with financial assistance but also with the opportunity to move forward with self-confidence.

For Karnal-based Mandeep Taneja, who runs a pizza stall in the Nehru Place Market, every day begins with serving affordable pizzas to his customers. The modest business serves as the primary source of his family's livelihood.

Due to limited income and fluctuating business, expanding it was a difficult endeavour. Managing both his family's expenses and his business's demands remained a constant challenge for him. In these trying times, the PM SVANidhi Scheme emerged as a ray of hope.

He secured a collateral-free loan of up to Rs 10,000 and used it to purchase new equipment for his pizza stall.

Upon repaying the loan on time, he became eligible for and received the second loan tranche. With this additional assistance, he not only managed his business effectively but also found himself better able to meet his family's needs. This provided his family with financial stability.

He also became eligible for a third installment of the loan. He utilized this amount to enhance the interior decor and exterior aesthetics of his pizza stall. The attractive stall caught customers' attention, leading to a further increase in his sales.

Notably, PM SVANidhi is a central government scheme launched during the Covid-19 pandemic to support street vendors through affordable working capital, financial inclusion, and social protection measures.

These stories serve as a prime example of how the scheme is empowering street vendors and small entrepreneurs across the country, helping them become self-reliant.