Kisan Credit Card Scheme | 14 Mar 2026

Source: PIB 

The Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme, supported by the Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS), aims to ensure timely, affordable, and collateral-free institutional credit for farmers and allied sectors, thereby improving agricultural productivity and financial security. 

• Evolution of KCC: The KCC Scheme, launched in 1998, provides short-term institutional credit to farmers for crop cultivation, post-harvest needs, and allied activities.  
  • To make credit affordable, the government introduced the Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS) in 2006–07, offering concessional interest rates and support during natural calamities.  
  • The Revised KCC (2020) provides integrated, single-window credit through a RuPay-enabled card with digital payments and flexible withdrawals via commercial, regional rural, and cooperative banks. 
• Eligible Beneficiaries: The KCC covers owner-cultivator farmers, joint borrowers, tenant farmers, oral lessees, and sharecroppers, along with Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and Joint Liability Groups (JLGs) to promote inclusive access to institutional credit. 
• Credit under KCC & MISS (2025–26): The KCC crop loan limit was raised from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, with the fisheries and allied activities credit limit increased to Rs 5 lakh.  
  • The collateral-free loan limit was enhanced to Rs 2 lakh per borrower, while short-term crop loans up to Rs 3 lakh are available at 7% interest with a 3% subvention (under MISS), reducing the effective rate to 4%. 
  • It offers flexible revolving credit for up to 5 years, allowing farmers to withdraw funds as needed, along with interest relief during natural calamities (no interest for up to 1 year, extendable to 5 years in severe disasters). 
• Farmer Onboarding & Digital Reforms: A simplified KCC application with PM-KISAN data and the Kisan Rin Portal (2023) enables faster loan processing and improved transparency in agricultural credit delivery. 
• Scale & Impact of KCC: Over 7.72 crore KCCs are active with outstanding credit of Rs 10.2 lakh crore, supported by 457 banks, reflecting wide institutional outreach and expanding credit access to agriculture and allied sectors like animal husbandry and fisheries. 
• Government Initiatives: The government has strengthened KCC accessibility through awareness campaigns, a nationwide KCC Saturation Drive under Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, and the introduction of RuPay-enabled KCC cards, promoting digital transactions, financial inclusion, and wider access to institutional agricultural credit.