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Published on: Jun 24, 2026

KESRU - Kerala Self Employment Scheme

KESRU or  Kerala Self Employment Scheme for the Registered Unemployed is a scheme introduced by the Kerala Government to promote

Self-Employment. The employment exchanges implement the scheme to promote Entrepreneurship amongst job seekers. In this article, let's look at the KESRU - Kerala Self Employment Scheme for the Registered Unemployed in detail.

KESRU

KESRU - Kerala Self Employment Scheme for the Registered Unemployed scheme provides for sanction of a bank loan of up to Rs. 1,00,000 for unemployed persons to start a business. The government provides the KESRU loan prior to the commencement of self-employment ventures of individuals. Out of the bank loan, a total of up to 20% reimburses as Government Subsidy via Employment Department. Hence, there is no requirement for contribution from the beneficiary to avail loan under this scheme. The spouse or parents of the beneficiary would be the guarantor. They do not require the collateral. Know more about the

collateral-free loan in India.

Eligibility for KESRU Loan

All unemployed individuals who are active on the Register of Employment Exchanges between the age group of 21 - 50 with an annual family income of not exceeding Rs.1,00,000 are eligible for KESRU Loan. Educational Qualification should suit the project the individual has chosen. Preference would be for those with professional or technical qualification, woman having graduation and beneficiaries of unemployment would be awarded the scheme. Students are not eligible for applying under Kerala Self Employment Scheme for the Registered Unemployed scheme.

KESRU Application Procedure

The application form for KESRU needs to be filled and submitted to the Employment Exchange where the candidate had registered with the project report and income certificate from the village officer. Post a preliminary verification with the Employment Exchange, the applications which are found eligible would then be forwarded to the concerned District Employment Exchange for scrutiny. The District Employment Officer submits the scrutinised applications to the District Committee for sanctioning loans via Nationalised Banks, District Co-operative Banks, Scheduled Banks and KSFE. The District Committee for KESRU where District Panchayat President is the Chairman and Employment Officer (Self Employment) is the Convener would be the sanctioning authority. Regional Deputy Director of Employment is the appellate authority. KESRU beneficiaries would not be against the temporary vacancies but would be for the usual vacancies.

Appeal Authority

There might come cases with the rejection of certain requests. In such instances, the Applicant can re-submit his appeal to the concerned Regional Deputy Director of Employment. On detailed investigation, the concerned official might re-check the details and sanction the loan before starting the business

Monitoring

The Director of Employment is the controlling officer of the scheme. The Employment Officers(Self Employment) of the concerned District Employment Exchanges thoroughly monitors the scheme. These officers ensure that the usage of the loan amount is particularly for the said purpose. They also ensure how quick are the businesses stabilizing. They also make sure that the usage of the loan amount is appropriate and in an efficient manner.  
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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about KESRU Loan Scheme for Self.

KESRU or Kerala Self Employment Scheme for the Registered Unemployed is a scheme introduced by the Kerala Government to promote self-employment among job seekers. It provides a bank loan of up to Rs. 1,00,000 to unemployed individuals to start their own business ventures.
Unemployed individuals between the ages of 21 and 50, registered with the employment exchanges, and having an annual family income not exceeding Rs.1,00,000 are eligible for the KESRU loan. The educational qualification should match the chosen project or business venture.
The application form needs to be filled and submitted to the Employment Exchange where the candidate is registered, along with the project report and income certificate from the village officer. The applications are then forwarded to the District Employment Exchange and the District Committee for scrutiny and sanctioning of loans.
No collateral is required for the KESRU loan. The spouse or parents of the beneficiary would serve as the guarantor.
Under the KESRU scheme, the government provides a subsidy of up to 20% of the bank loan amount, which is reimbursed via the Employment Department.
The Director of Employment is the controlling officer of the scheme, while the Employment Officers (Self Employment) of the concerned District Employment Exchanges monitor the scheme's implementation, ensuring the proper utilization of the loan amount and the stabilization of the businesses.
No, students are not eligible to apply for the KESRU loan. Only unemployed individuals registered with the employment exchanges can apply for the scheme.
If the KESRU loan application is rejected, the applicant can submit an appeal to the concerned Regional Deputy Director of Employment. After a detailed investigation, the official may reconsider the application and sanction the loan if found eligible.
Yes, preference is given to applicants with professional or technical qualifications, women with graduation degrees, and beneficiaries of unemployment allowances.
The purpose of the KESRU scheme is to promote self-employment and entrepreneurship among the registered unemployed individuals in Kerala by providing them with financial assistance in the form of a collateral-free bank loan to start their own business ventures.