NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) will distribute loans worth ₹54,698 crore in Uttarakhand during the financial year 2025-26. This is 36% more than the ₹40,158 crore allocated in 2024-25. The details were shared in NABARD’s State Focus Paper, which was released at the State Credit Seminar organized in Dehradun. Uttarakhand’s Chief Secretary, Radha Raturi, unveiled the paper and highlighted the importance of discussing loan potential for the coming year.

For the next financial year, NABARD has estimated loan potential in key sectors: Agriculture: ₹19,306.96 crore, MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises): ₹30,477.92 crore and other priority sectors: ₹4,913.53 crore. During the seminar, Radha Raturi expressed gratitude to NABARD for its continuous support in Uttarakhand’s development. She particularly praised NABARD’s Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) for accelerating infrastructure growth in the state. She also emphasized the need to address migration from the state and suggested that NABARD and other institutions could collaborate on projects to tackle this issue.

She further proposed the idea of district-level development plans, which would be modeled on district-wise loan potential estimates. This, she said, could help speed up Uttarakhand’s overall development. She also highlighted solar energy as a sector with immense potential, stating that solar projects in rural areas could generate employment opportunities.

The State Focus Paper also integrates various policy initiatives from both the central and state governments. NABARD has been a key player in Uttarakhand’s development since its formation, supporting infrastructure projects such as the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF), NABARD Infrastructure Development Assistance (NIDA), Warehouse Infrastructure Fund, and Long-Term Irrigation Fund.

These initiatives have significantly contributed to better roads, storage facilities, drinking water, and irrigation systems in the state.

As of December 31, 2024, NABARD has provided ₹10,374.94 crore for 5,397 infrastructure projects in Uttarakhand. Additionally, from 2014-15 to 2024, it has granted ₹2,694.68 lakh to promote 136 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs).

Women play a crucial role in Uttarakhand’s economy, and NABARD has actively worked towards their empowerment. It has conducted 177 training programs for nearly 7,800 women members of self-help groups (SHGs), encouraging them to start their own businesses. NABARD has also organized various district, state, and national-level exhibitions and fairs to help artisans and SHGs sell their products.

Speaking at the seminar, NABARD’s Chief General Manager Pankaj Yadav outlined the organization’s key focus areas: Strengthening FPOs and SHGs, supporting projects to tackle climate change, expanding financial literacy and microfinance access, and enhancing cooperative banking through PACS computerization.

On this occasion, Uttarakhand Gramin Bank, the State Cooperative Bank, two District Central Cooperative Banks, and two FPOs were honored for their outstanding contributions to rural and agricultural development. With this significant increase in loan disbursement, NABARD aims to boost agriculture, MSMEs, and infrastructure, ensuring sustainable growth in Uttarakhand for the coming years.