Quick Take
- PM Modi released Rs 2,400 Cr ($289 Mn) to about 15 lakh beneficiaries on June 19, 2026.
- First-time workers get up to Rs 15,000, employers up to Rs 3,000 per month per new hire.
- Scheme targets over 3.5 crore jobs by July 2027, with Rs 99,446 Cr total outlay.
In This Article
The PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana reached a major milestone on June 19, 2026, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi released about Rs 2,400 Cr ($289 Mn) in incentives to roughly 15 lakh beneficiaries.
The disbursal happened at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, with parallel events at around 200 locations nationwide, according to a Press Information Bureau statement. The PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PM-VBRY) is the government’s flagship employment-linked incentive scheme. It rewards both first-time workers entering formal jobs and employers who create net new jobs.
StartupFeed Insight
The real signal here is structural, not just the Rs 2,400 Cr headline. By tying every incentive to EPFO (Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation) enrolment, the government is using cash to formalise jobs that already exist, not only to create new ones. Founders and HR heads at high-growth startups should watch closely: the Rs 3,000 per month per-hire benefit can offset real onboarding costs in services and manufacturing. StartupFeed expects employer claims to spike sharply after January 2026, once baseline filing deadlines pass and the first big batch crosses the six-month mark. The scheme’s true test arrives by mid-2027, when actual job-creation numbers must justify the Rs 99,446 Cr outlay. By StartupFeed Desk.
Scheme Breakdown and Numbers
PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana is a two-part employment-linked incentive scheme with a total outlay of Rs 99,446 Cr ($12 Bn), per the Press Information Bureau. The June 19 disbursal of Rs 2,400 Cr is the first major payout since the scheme took effect on August 1, 2025.
| Metric | Detail | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Amount Disbursed | Rs 2,400 Cr ($289 Mn) | Via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) |
| Beneficiaries (this round) | About 15 lakh | Workers and employers |
| First-Timer Incentive (Part A) | Up to Rs 15,000 | One month EPF wage, two installments |
| Employer Incentive (Part B) | Up to Rs 3,000 per month | Per additional employee, two years |
| Total Outlay | Rs 99,446 Cr ($12 Bn) | For period August 2025 to July 2027 |
| Job Target | Over 3.5 crore jobs | Includes 1.92 crore first-timers |
The most striking number is the gap between scale and spend. The Rs 2,400 Cr released so far is a small fraction of the Rs 99,446 Cr earmarked, signalling that the bulk of payouts is still ahead.
About PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana
PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana is a central employment scheme launched on August 1, 2025, run by the Ministry of Labour and Employment through EPFO. It replaces the earlier Employment Linked Incentive framework announced in Union Budget 2024-25. The scheme runs from August 2025 to July 2027, pays benefits via DBT to Aadhaar-linked accounts, and covers first-time workers and job-creating employers earning up to Rs 1 lakh per month.
Why does PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana matter?
PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana matters because it pays both sides of the hiring equation at once, a rare design for an Indian welfare scheme. Most past schemes targeted either workers or firms, not both together.
PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana is much more than an employment scheme. It is an initiative designed to strengthen the aspirations of young people entering their first jobs while creating a robust bridge between industry and the workforce, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The PM also shared progress figures. Nearly 70 lakh new jobs have been created so far under the scheme, with an equal number of first-time workers brought under social security, he said. Close to 20 lakh young people have crossed six months in their first jobs, and about 10 lakh have already received their incentive, per his address.
Who benefits and how do they apply?
First-time employees and employers who add net new jobs are the two beneficiary groups under PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana. Eligibility runs through EPFO records, with strict identity and wage checks.
To qualify under Part A, a worker must be a first-time EPFO contributor, must join between August 1, 2025 and July 31, 2027, and must earn under Rs 1 lakh gross per month. They need an Aadhaar-authenticated Universal Account Number (UAN) generated via Face Authentication Technology on the UMANG app. The first installment lands after six months of service, the second after 12 months plus a financial literacy course, according to EPFO. Employers must create at least 2 new jobs if their baseline is under 50 staff, or at least 5 if it is 50 or more.
What does this mean for the job market?
For India’s job market, PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana shifts focus from informal hiring toward documented, EPFO-linked employment. This is the scheme’s core bet: link cash to social security from day one.
| Feature | PM-VBRY | Older ABRY (COVID-era) |
|---|---|---|
| Main Goal | Job creation plus formalisation | COVID recovery hiring |
| Worker Benefit | Up to Rs 15,000 direct | EPF contribution support |
| Outlay | Rs 99,446 Cr | Rs 22,810 Cr |
What sets PM-VBRY apart is the direct cash reward to the worker, not just a subsidy routed through the employer’s books.
What’s Next
The next big checkpoint is January 31, 2026, the deadline for employers to file baseline ECRs (Electronic Challan-cum-Returns) and lock in eligibility. After that, employer claims should rise as more hires cross the six-month mark. The bigger question stays open: can the scheme convert its Rs 99,446 Cr outlay into 3.5 crore real jobs by July 2027? Will formal hiring actually outpace the informal economy?
Frequently Asked Questions
Last updated: June 21, 2026 at 14:30 IST
Written by Soumya Verma. Published: June 21, 2026. Updated: June 21, 2026. Have a tip? Write to us at editorial@startupfeed.in.
