SMILE Self-Employment Loan for families who lost their earner to Covid-19 SMILE
A self-employment loan of up to ₹5 lakh for women whose family lost its main earner to Covid-19, with 20% written off for prompt repayment.
Last updated on
- Cost to apply
- No application fee is mentioned
- Status
- Status unclear
- Run by
- Kerala State Women's Development Corporation (KSWDC) with the Government of Kerala
What you get
- Loan up to ₹5 lakh to start self-employment or a small business
- Subsidy of 20% of the loan, up to ₹1 lakh, for prompt repayment
- Loans up to ₹1 lakh need only a stamped receipt as security
Who can apply
- New businesses, or people about to start one.
- Nano and micro enterprises.
- Only for women and widows.
- Age 18 to 55.
- The most on offer is ₹5 lakh.
- Women aged 18 to 55 who are dependants of a person who died of Covid-19
Where to apply
In person, KSWDC head office in Thiruvananthapuram or a KSWDC regional office
In Kerala, KSWDC offices
Worth knowing
Still on the KSWDC website in November 2026, but it is a Covid-19 relief scheme and the page gives no application window.
Where we found this
- KSWDC SMILE scheme (external site) Official
An independent guide by The Company of Four, not a government website. Schemes change often, so check every detail on the official website before you apply. Links marked ↗ open external websites that we do not run, and we are not responsible for their content. Seen something out of date? Tell us and we will look into it.