By THE NEWSMAN OF INDIA |Madhya Pradesh has emerged as a national leader in the successful implementation of the Prime Minister Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Yojana, creating a strong model of inclusive urban development and financial empowerment for street vendors across the state.

Under the effective functioning of the Urban Development and Housing Department and the steady administrative supervision of Sanket S. Bhondve, IAS (2007 batch, Madhya Pradesh cadre), Commissioner, Urban Administration and Development Department, the state has consistently maintained the top position in the country in delivering the benefits of this important scheme.

The PM SVANidhi Yojana has already benefited more than 9.92 lakh street vendors and hawkers across Madhya Pradesh. Taking the scheme forward, it has now been restructured to provide enhanced financial support in multiple phases. Under the revised framework, street vendors are being provided loans of Rs 15,000, Rs 25,000, and up to Rs 50,000 in successive stages, along with UPI-linked credit cards carrying a credit limit of Rs 30,000.

This structured approach has significantly strengthened the economic base of small vendors who form an essential part of the urban informal economy.

As of March 31, 2030, Madhya Pradesh has sanctioned loans worth Rs 2,632 crore to 15.69 lakh beneficiaries through consistent efforts and close monitoring. This notable performance reflects both administrative efficiency and the state’s commitment to financial inclusion and support for grassroots entrepreneurship.

Another major success of the scheme is the digital transformation of street vendors. More than 7 lakh vendors in the state are now actively operating digitally, and through this digital participation, cashback benefits exceeding Rs 47 crore have been provided under the scheme. This has helped vendors integrate into the formal financial ecosystem and strengthened digital governance at the grassroots level.

Madhya Pradesh’s performance has also been prominently reflected on the Government of India’s national portal rankings, where the state continues to hold the number one position among large states.

Among urban local bodies, Madhya Pradesh has achieved significant success at the national level. Indore Municipal Corporation has emerged as the top-performing urban body in the country under the new PM SVANidhi framework by disbursing 33,332 loan cases—the highest in India. This achievement is particularly noteworthy as Indore has moved ahead of major metropolitan cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad, despite these cities having much larger populations.

In the category of cities with populations between 10 lakh and 40 lakh, Bhopal Municipal Corporation secured the second position nationally, while Jabalpur Municipal Corporation ranked third. Vadodara and Nagpur followed in the fourth and fifth positions respectively.

In the category of cities with populations between 1 lakh and 10 lakh, Ujjain Municipal Corporation also added to Madhya Pradesh’s strong performance by securing the fifth position in the country.

These achievements underline the effectiveness of policy execution and the strong institutional commitment of the Urban Administration and Development Department. The department’s focused strategy, combined with field-level implementation and regular review, has ensured that the benefits of PM SVANidhi reach beneficiaries efficiently and transparently.

Sanket S. Bhondve’s administrative approach, attention to execution, and emphasis on results have contributed meaningfully to this progress. His role in strengthening coordination across urban bodies and ensuring sustained implementation has helped PM SVANidhi become an important instrument of economic support and dignity for street vendors.

Madhya Pradesh today stands as a strong example of how committed governance and effective administration can translate policy into meaningful social and economic outcomes. The Urban Development and Housing Department’s work in PM SVANidhi implementation deserves appreciation for setting high standards in urban empowerment and citizen-focused governance.