Venture Capital Fund for Scheduled Castes (VCF-SC)
A programme by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
A fund that invests in shares of Scheduled Caste-led companies. Its guidelines ran to March 2026.
At a glance
| Best for | Scheduled Caste-led companies seeking equity investment |
|---|---|
| Duration | 2021-22 to 2025-26 |
| Cost | Takes equity |
| Run with | IFCI Venture Capital Funds Ltd |
About Venture Capital Fund for Scheduled Castes (VCF-SC)
The Venture Capital Fund for Scheduled Castes provides concessional finance to Scheduled Caste entrepreneurs. It can invest in shares, up to a quarter of its corpus, in companies majority-owned by Scheduled Caste entrepreneurs. Its guidelines ran from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2026, and capital could be drawn only up to 31 March 2026. No renewal appears on the Ministry's schemes page.
What you get
- Equity investment in shares, through IFCI Venture Capital Funds Ltd, the fund's named asset
- Concessional finance for Scheduled Caste entrepreneurs
Who can apply
- Companies with at least 51% shareholding by Scheduled Caste entrepreneurs, held for the past six months, or the past twelve months above the threshold
- Women and disabled Scheduled Caste entrepreneurs are given priority
How to apply: The guidelines do not set out an application route on the Ministry's site.
Where to apply
Other Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment programmes
- Ambedkar Social Innovation Incubation Mission (ASIIM)Incubation funding, routed through Technology Business Incubators, for Scheduled Caste technology ideas. Its guidelines ran to March 2026.
- Credit Enhancement Guarantee Scheme for Scheduled Castes (CEGSSC)IFCI's guarantee to lending banks against loans to Scheduled Caste-owned businesses. You apply for the loan itself.
- NSFDC loan schemes (micro finance, term loans and Udyam Nidhi Yojana)Loans at reasonable interest rates for Scheduled Caste persons running small and micro businesses, delivered by NSFDC.