Overview
- The state cabinet approved the package on Tuesday, July 14, clearing a move to raise the government subsidy from 20% to 40% and to roll the revised scheme out more widely across Maharashtra.
- Women who already bought e‑rickshaws under the programme will receive the higher subsidy retroactively, which official releases say will lower their outstanding loan burdens.
- Under the new financing rules beneficiaries must cover 60% of the vehicle cost with at least 10% from their own funds, and suppliers or approved banks may finance the balance through an interest‑free partial deferred payment facility or standard loans.
- Subsidy payments will be channelled through the Office of the Commissioner, Women and Child Development in Pune, and the Women and Child Development Minister has authority to expand district coverage and reallocate beneficiary targets during implementation.
- Officials say the package is meant to boost women’s entrepreneurship and last‑mile mobility by making ownership cheaper and safer through route planning and mandatory GPS tracking, and it could reduce reliance on high‑cost credit for low‑income buyers.