Karnataka State Women Development Corporation (KSWDC)
Government

Karnataka State Women Development Corporation (KSWDC)

Karnataka State Women Development Corporation

Department of Women & Child Development & Empowerment of Differently Abled & Senior Citizens, Government of Karnataka

Bengaluru, Karnataka, IndiaEst. 1987

Karnataka state corporation under the Women & Child Development department, running self-employment schemes for women and specific groups of women.

KSWDC at a glance

Full nameKarnataka State Women Development Corporation
Part ofDepartment of Women & Child Development & Empowerment of Differently Abled & Senior Citizens, Government of Karnataka
Established1987
AddressKarnataka Pradesh Krishik Samaj, No.18, Krishi Bhavan, 2nd floor, Nrupatunga Road, Bengaluru-560 001
Programmes9 standing programmes
Official websitekswdc.karnataka.gov.in
Emailkswdc-md@karnataka.gov.in

Which KSWDC programme fits you

9 programmes compared by who they are for, the stage they accept, how long they run and what they cost.

ProgrammeBest forStageDurationFormatCost
DhanashreeWomen aged 18 to 60 living with HIV, who want to start an income-generating activity————
Chetana SchemeFemale sex workers aged 18 and above who want to start an income-generating activity————
Rehabilitation of Ex-Devadasi WomenEx-Devadasi women in the 15 scheme districts, listed in the Government of Karnataka surveys of 1993-94 and 2007-08————
Rehabilitation Programme for Transgender PersonsTransgender persons who are Karnataka residents and want to start an income-generating activity————
UdyoginiWith BanksWomen aged 18 to 55 from economically weaker sections who want to start a business or service activity with a bank loan————
Interest Subsidy through Karnataka State Financial CorporationWith Karnataka State Financial Corporation (KSFC)Women entrepreneurs taking a KSFC loan for a medium or large scale industry————
Gelathi SchemeWith Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation LimitedAcid attack survivors above 18 who want to self-employ————
Women Training ProgrammeEconomically backward women who want skill training for self-employment————
Gruhalakshmi Digital MarketingWomen entrepreneurs who want to sell their products online————

Programmes they run

Standing programmes at Karnataka State Women Development Corporation (KSWDC), separate from the funding calls above.

The corporation's schemes run in yearly windows through district committees, not as open-ended cohorts. Check the scheme page for the current year before you apply.

Dhanashree

Grant scheme

A direct incentive for women living with HIV to start an income-generating activity.

Best for: Women aged 18 to 60 living with HIV, who want to start an income-generating activity

  • Grant support for selected startups
What you get, who can apply and how to apply

Dhanashree supports women aged 18 to 60 who are infected or affected by HIV. The incentive is paid straight into the beneficiary's bank account through Direct Benefit Transfer, to take up an income-generating activity.

What you get

  • A direct incentive for an income-generating activity
  • Payment by Direct Benefit Transfer into your bank account

Who can apply

  • Women aged 18 to 60 who are infected or affected by HIV
  • Permanent residents of Karnataka
  • A medical certificate from an ICTC or ART centre, or an ART card

How selection works: A district committee chooses eligible beneficiaries.

How to apply: Applications go through Bapuji Seva Kendra, Grama One, Bangalore One or Karnataka One centres.

Official programme page

Chetana Scheme

Grant scheme

A direct incentive for female sex workers to start an income-generating activity.

Best for: Female sex workers aged 18 and above who want to start an income-generating activity

  • Grant support for selected startups
What you get, who can apply and how to apply

The Chetana scheme aims to help women leave their existing path and lead a dignified, independent life. The state provides a subsidy to eligible women, paid directly to their bank account, so they can take up an income-generating activity.

What you get

  • A subsidy for an income-generating activity
  • Payment directly into your bank account

Who can apply

  • Women aged 18 and above who are permanent residents of Karnataka
  • A certificate or identity card from a government-registered NGO working on rehabilitation of sex workers in the district

How selection works: A district committee chooses eligible beneficiaries.

How to apply: Applications go through Bapuji Seva Kendra, Grama One, Bangalore One or Karnataka One centres.

Official programme page

A direct incentive for ex-Devadasi women, alongside awareness and health camps, in 15 districts.

Best for: Ex-Devadasi women in the 15 scheme districts, listed in the Government of Karnataka surveys of 1993-94 and 2007-08

  • Grant support for selected startups
What you get, who can apply and how to apply

This scheme works to help ex-Devadasi women become financially independent. It runs in 15 districts of Karnataka. The corporation pays an incentive directly into beneficiaries' bank accounts for income-generating activities such as animal husbandry or a small shop. Awareness, legal and health camps also run in these districts.

What you get

  • A direct incentive for an income-generating activity
  • Awareness, legal and health camps in the scheme districts

Who can apply

  • Permanent residents of Karnataka who are ex-Devadasi women
  • Women whose names appear in the Government of Karnataka surveys of 1993-94 and 2007-08
  • The scheme document sets an age floor of above 45 years; the web page does not state one

How selection works: A district committee chooses eligible beneficiaries.

How to apply: Applications go through Bapuji Seva Kendra, Grama One, Bangalore One or Karnataka One centres. For details, contact the Deputy Director of the Department of Women and Child Development or the Development Inspector of the district.

Full Rehabilitation of Ex-Devadasi Women guide

A direct incentive for transgender persons to start an income-generating activity.

Best for: Transgender persons who are Karnataka residents and want to start an income-generating activity

  • Grant support for selected startups
What you get, who can apply and how to apply

The state provides a subsidy to transgender persons, paid directly to their bank accounts, so they can take up income-generating activities and become self-employed.

What you get

  • A subsidy for an income-generating activity
  • Payment directly into your bank account

Who can apply

  • Permanent residents of Karnataka who are transgender persons
  • An identity card for transgender persons issued by the Deputy Commissioner, or a certificate from a government-registered NGO or community-based organisation identified by the Deputy Commissioner, or a notarised self-declaration

How selection works: A district committee chooses eligible beneficiaries.

How to apply: Applications go through Bapuji Seva Kendra, Grama One, Bangalore One or Karnataka One centres.

Official programme page

Udyogini

Subsidy or reimbursement

A subsidy on a bank loan for women who want to start a business or service activity.

Best for: Women aged 18 to 55 from economically weaker sections who want to start a business or service activity with a bank loan

With Banks

What you get, who can apply and how to apply

Udyogini helps women from economically weaker sections become self-employed. The woman takes a loan from a bank for her activity, and the corporation provides a subsidy on that loan. The subsidy rate is higher for SC and ST women.

What you get

  • A subsidy on a bank loan for a business or service activity
  • A higher subsidy rate for SC and ST women

Who can apply

  • Women aged 18 to 55 who are permanent residents of Karnataka
  • Women from economically weaker sections who want to be self-employed in business or service
  • An income and caste certificate from the Tahsildar, within the income limits for your category

How selection works: A selection committee chaired by the MLA of the relevant Assembly Constituency chooses beneficiaries, according to the scheme document.

How to apply: Applications go through Bapuji Seva Kendra, Grama One, Bangalore One or Karnataka One centres. Subsidy is released to the bank branch after the bank sanctions the loan.

Full Udyogini guide

An interest subsidy for women entrepreneurs who take a medium or large industry loan through KSFC.

Best for: Women entrepreneurs taking a KSFC loan for a medium or large scale industry

With Karnataka State Financial Corporation (KSFC)

What you get, who can apply and how to apply

Women who want to take up medium and large scale industries can borrow through Karnataka State Financial Corporation (KSFC). The corporation gives these women an interest subsidy on that loan for five years.

What you get

  • An interest subsidy for five years on a KSFC loan

Who can apply

  • Women who are eligible and interested in medium and large scale industries

How selection works: The page does not describe a selection process.

How to apply: The page does not describe an application route; the loan is arranged through KSFC.

Official programme page

An interest-free loan with a part subsidy for acid attack survivors who want to self-employ.

Best for: Acid attack survivors above 18 who want to self-employ

With Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation Limited

What you get, who can apply and how to apply

The Gelathi scheme helps acid attack survivors return to mainstream society through self-employment. Each beneficiary receives an interest-free loan together with a subsidy, or a loan and subsidy split of the unit cost, based on the project report. Housing is provided through Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation Limited.

What you get

  • An interest-free loan
  • A subsidy alongside the loan
  • Housing support through Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation Limited

Who can apply

  • Acid attack victims above 18 years of age who are permanent residents of Karnataka
  • A UDID card, FIR, pension certificate or medical certificate that records acid attack

How to apply: Submit a project report, an Aadhaar-linked bank account and a loan agreement attested on stamp paper, with the documents above.

Official programme page

Skill training for economically backward women, under Karnataka's Mukhyamantri Kaushalya Karnataka guidelines.

Best for: Economically backward women who want skill training for self-employment

What you get, who can apply and how to apply

The corporation runs skill development training for economically backward women. The aim is to build productivity, marketing skills and financial independence, under the guidelines of the Mukhyamantri Kaushalya Karnataka Scheme.

What you get

  • Skill development training in sectors such as dairy farming, tailoring, documentation and data entry, field technician work, and computer hardware and networking

Who can apply

  • Economically backward women in Karnataka

How to apply: Contact the Deputy Director of the Department of Women and Child Development or the Development Inspector of the corporation in your district.

Official programme page

An online platform where women entrepreneurs can market their products across Karnataka and beyond.

Best for: Women entrepreneurs who want to sell their products online

What you get, who can apply and how to apply

Gruhalakshmi Digital Marketing is a digital platform that gives women entrepreneurs a way to sell their products online. It is meant to reach customers across the state and outside it, and so widen the market for products made by women.

Who can apply

  • Women entrepreneurs who make products they want to sell online

How to apply: Register on the Gruhalakshmi Digital Marketing portal. For questions, contact the District Deputy Director of the Department of Women and Child Development, or the District Development Inspector of the corporation.

Official programme page

How to apply to Karnataka State Women Development Corporation (KSWDC)

Choosing the right scheme

  • Start from who you are. Most schemes are for one group: women living with HIV, ex-Devadasi women, transgender persons, female sex workers, or acid attack survivors.
  • For a business or service start-up, look at Udyogini (a subsidy on a bank loan, for women aged 18 to 55) and the interest subsidy scheme for women entrepreneurs in medium and large industries.
  • For a skills course, look at the Women Training Programme.

How applications work

  • Apply through Bapuji Seva Kendra, Grama One, Bangalore One or Karnataka One centres.
  • The 2026-27 application window closes on 31 October 2026 at 5:30 pm.
  • Keep these ready: Aadhaar card, residential proof (residential certificate, voter ID or ration card), a project report for the activity, and a bank account seeded with Aadhaar.

Documents by scheme

  • HIV scheme: a medical certificate from an ICTC or ART centre, or an ART card.
  • Transgender scheme: an identity card issued by the Deputy Commissioner, or a certificate from a government-registered NGO or community-based organisation, or a notarised self-declaration.
  • Chetana scheme: a certificate or ID from a government-registered NGO working on rehabilitation of sex workers in the district.
  • Udyogini: an income and caste certificate from the Tahsildar.
  • Gelathi scheme: a UDID card, FIR, pension certificate or medical certificate that records acid attack, and a loan agreement on stamp paper.

How selection works

  • Incentive schemes are decided by a district committee.
  • The pages and the scheme document name different officers as the committee head, so confirm with the district office which one applies to you.

About Karnataka State Women Development Corporation (KSWDC)

Karnataka State Women’s Development Corporation is a Government of Karnataka body based in Bengaluru. It was registered in 1987 under Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956, and works under the state's Department of Women & Child Development and Empowerment of Differently Abled & Senior Citizens. Its stated aim is to uplift the weaker sections and backward classes of women, mainly through incentives, bank-loan subsidies and training for self-employment.

Who it supports

Most of its schemes are for women who want to become self-employed or start a small business or service activity. Several are for specific groups: women living with HIV, ex-Devadasi women, transgender persons, female sex workers and acid attack survivors. The Udyogini scheme and the interest subsidy through Karnataka State Financial Corporation are for women starting a business or service. Eligibility, age limits and income limits differ from scheme to scheme, and most schemes require Karnataka residence.

The corporation's objectives also include helping women take bank and financial-institution loans, promoting marketing for women entrepreneurs, strengthening women's self-help groups and running skill training.

Schemes

The corporation runs several kinds of support, and they work differently:

Incentive schemes pay a direct incentive into the beneficiary's bank account through Direct Benefit Transfer, for an income-generating activity. These are the Dhanashree scheme for women aged 18 to 60 living with HIV, the Chetana scheme for female sex workers aged 18 and above, the rehabilitation scheme for ex-Devadasi women in 15 districts, and the rehabilitation programme for transgender persons.

Loan-linked schemes work with banks or a state financial corporation. Udyogini gives a subsidy on a bank loan for women aged 18 to 55 from economically weaker sections, with a higher subsidy rate for SC and ST women. The interest subsidy for women entrepreneurs runs through Karnataka State Financial Corporation and covers medium and large scale industries for five years.

The Gelathi scheme supports acid attack survivors with an interest-free loan combined with a subsidy, and housing is provided through Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation Limited.

The Women Training Programme gives skill training to economically backward women under the Mukhyamantri Kaushalya Karnataka guidelines. Its listed courses include dairy farming, tailoring, documentation and data entry, field technician work and computer hardware and networking.

Gruhalakshmi Digital Marketing is an online platform where women entrepreneurs can sell their products across Karnataka and beyond.

Selection

Applicants for the incentive schemes are selected by a district committee. The corporation's pages and its scheme document name different senior officers as the head of that committee: the pages name the District Commissioner, and the scheme document names the Deputy Commissioner. For Udyogini, the scheme document says selection is by a committee headed by the MLA of the relevant Assembly Constituency.

For the ex-Devadasi scheme, the scheme document sets an age floor of above 45 years. The web page for that scheme does not state an age limit, so check the current notification before you apply.

Track record

The pages reviewed do not publish counts of beneficiaries, schemes completed or amounts disbursed.

Who runs it

The board is chaired by Smt. G. Padmavathi, and Dr. N. Mahesh Babu is the Managing Director and member secretary. The board also includes officials from the Finance Department and the Women & Child Development Department. The head office is at Krishi Bhavan in Bengaluru. The corporation also has district offices and Development Inspectors across the state.

How to apply

Applications for the corporation's schemes are made through Bapuji Seva Kendra, Grama One, Bangalore One or Karnataka One centres. For the 2026-27 year, the homepage gives 31 October 2026, 5:30 pm as the last date. For ex-Devadasi women and housing details, the scheme document refers applicants to the Deputy Director of the Department of Women and Child Development or to the Development Inspector of the district. For Gruhalakshmi Digital Marketing, register on the platform's own portal.

Get in touch

Send a message to Karnataka State Women Development Corporation (KSWDC) — we'll forward it on your behalf.

Karnataka Pradesh Krishik Samaj, No.18, Krishi Bhavan, 2nd floor, Nrupatunga Road, Bengaluru-560 001, 560001

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Who they work with

Tags

The team

S

Smt. G. Padmavathi

Chairperson

D

Dr. N. Mahesh Babu

Managing Director

Frequently asked questions about Karnataka State Women Development Corporation (KSWDC)

What is the full form of KSWDC?

KSWDC stands for Karnataka State Women Development Corporation.

What is Karnataka State Women Development Corporation (KSWDC)?

Karnataka State Women Development Corporation (KSWDC) is a government body based in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

What does Karnataka State Women Development Corporation (KSWDC) do?

Karnataka State Women’s Development Corporation is a Government of Karnataka body based in Bengaluru. It was registered in 1987 under Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956, and works under the state's Department of Women & Child Development and Empowerment of Differently Abled & Senior Citizens.

Where is Karnataka State Women Development Corporation (KSWDC) located?

Karnataka State Women Development Corporation (KSWDC) is located at Karnataka Pradesh Krishik Samaj, No.18, Krishi Bhavan, 2nd floor, Nrupatunga Road, Bengaluru-560 001.

What programs does Karnataka State Women Development Corporation (KSWDC) run?

Karnataka State Women Development Corporation (KSWDC) runs Dhanashree, Chetana Scheme, Rehabilitation of Ex-Devadasi Women and Rehabilitation Programme for Transgender Persons, among others.

Does Karnataka State Women Development Corporation (KSWDC) provide funding?

Selected startups in some Karnataka State Women Development Corporation (KSWDC) programmes can receive grant support, including Dhanashree, Chetana Scheme, Rehabilitation of Ex-Devadasi Women and Rehabilitation Programme for Transgender Persons. Grant amounts are set per programme and cohort, and selection into a programme does not guarantee a grant — check the programme's own page for current terms.

How do I apply to Karnataka State Women Development Corporation (KSWDC)?

- Start from who you are. Most schemes are for one group: women living with HIV, ex-Devadasi women, transgender persons, female sex workers, or acid attack survivors. - For a business or service start-up, look at Udyogini (a subsidy on a bank loan, for women aged 18 to 55) and the interest subsidy scheme for women entrepreneurs in medium and large industries.

Who runs Karnataka State Women Development Corporation (KSWDC)?

Smt. G. Padmavathi (Chairperson) and Dr. N. Mahesh Babu (Managing Director).

When was Karnataka State Women Development Corporation (KSWDC) founded?

Karnataka State Women Development Corporation (KSWDC) was founded in 1987. It is a government body.