The Odisha government will provide financial assistance to women to buy taxis under a new scheme titled Ama Subhaka Yojana, aimed at creating a cadre of professional women taxi drivers and entrepreneurs across the state.

Commerce and transport minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena said the initiative seeks to empower women through self-employment and mobility. “We aim to empower women. Around 1,100 women will be created as professional drivers over the next four years,” he said.

Under the scheme, eligible women will receive loans of up to ₹10 lakh at an annual interest rate of 11 per cent, repayable within five years. The state government will bear the entire interest burden.

The rollout plan targets 200 beneficiaries in the first year, followed by 250 in the second, 300 in the third and 350 in the fourth. To promote eco-friendly transport, women purchasing electric vehicles will receive an additional ₹2 lakh incentive. Applicants must be aged between 21 and 40.

Officials said the scheme complements the BJP government’s Subhadra Yojana, which provides ₹10,000 in two instalments to encourage women’s entrepreneurship.

According to government data, 6,216 women have completed driving training at state-run institutes. While similar projects have succeeded in other states, this is the first such large-scale attempt in Odisha to support women in commercial driving.

The government expects the scheme to make women financially independent and confident in a traditionally male-dominated field. However, the Opposition has expressed doubts about its successful implementation.