Assam Govt CMAAA scheme empowers 99,971 entrepreneurs

In a major boost to self-employment and the State’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, the Government of Assam has covered a total of 99,971 beneficiaries across the State through the first two phases of the Chief Minister’s Atmanirbhar Asom Abhijan (CMAAA).

Launched on September 23, 2023, the flagship entrepreneurship promotion initiative provides crucial financial assistance, Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) training, and continuous handholding support to aspiring entrepreneurs to foster sustainable livelihood opportunities, officials said on Friday.

Under the first phase (CMAAA 1.0), a total of 25,277 beneficiaries were covered, comprising 25,056 under the General Category and 221 under the Professional Category. All selected candidates received their first tranche of financial assistance to set up their ventures.

Subsequently, 12,976 beneficiaries have been sanctioned and disbursed the second tranche in the form of an interest-free loan based on their performance and eligibility. The remaining 12,313 beneficiaries will undergo evaluation in a phased manner. The parameter for the evaluation matrix includes financial performance, record-keeping, employment generation, and productivity to receive the second tranche.

Meanwhile, the momentum has significantly scaled up under CMAAA 2.0, where the State Government has extended the first tranche of financial assistance to 74,694 beneficiaries. This cohort includes 74,144 general category candidates, 206 professionals, and 344 Operation Black Board (OBB) teachers, with the latter group receiving one-time financial assistance of `2 lakh each.

To strengthen entrepreneurial capacity, mandatory EDP training has already commenced across all districts for all 74,694 beneficiaries under CMAAA 2.0 and is slated to wrap up by July 31, 2026. While 75 per cent of the approved financial assistance has already been disbursed as the first tranche, the remaining 25 per cent will be released upon successful completion of this training.

The initiative is also actively driving financial inclusion. So far, 1,325 beneficiaries have applied for institutional finance under various Government-sponsored credit-linked schemes like PMEGP, PMFME, and PM MUDRA, with 329 beneficiaries already successfully availing the credit.

Senior officials emphasised that the effective convergence of CMAAA with institutional credit remains essential for transforming beneficiaries into sustainable entrepreneurs capable of expanding businesses and generating jobs. In line with this, the Government has directed all banks to accord the highest priority to the initiative to ensure tangible outcomes.

An official release from the Department of Industries, Commerce and Public Enterprises stated that the progress achieved under both phases marks a significant milestone toward creating an inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem, aimed at turning Assam’s youth into “job creators rather than job seekers” to realise the vision of a self-reliant ‘Atmanirbhar Asom’.