When Narendra Modi took power in May 2014, India’s social welfare delivery landscape was characterized by fragmentation, leakage, and the heavy presence of intermediaries between the state and its intended beneficiaries. Twelve years on, the government’s major social plans together constitute one of the largest social welfare structures in the world – reaching more than 800 million people in food security alone, and disbursing funds. $4.27 lakh crore directly to farmers, installing taps in over 150 million rural homes and extending health insurance to nearly 550 million citizens.
The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), which was launched during the Covid-19 crisis in March 2020 and became permanent from January 2024, is the single largest expenditure in the welfare portfolio. The program covers 813.5 million beneficiaries – nearly 60% of India’s population – and has been providing foodgrains completely free of charge since January 2023, with the food subsidy bill topping up $2 million crores in FY26. Combined with the existing National Food Security Act entitlements, it provides 56-58 million tonnes of food grains annually. No other government program in the world matches its coverage.
Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), launched in February 2019, provides… $6000 annually in three installments to the families of the owner farmers. As of the 22nd edition released on March 2026 in Guwahati, it is over $Since inception, Rs 4.27 lakh crore has been disbursed to over 110 million unique farmer families, making it one of the largest direct benefit transfer initiatives in the world. Of the 93.2 million farmers included in the March premium, 21.5 million were women. $Rs 416.75 crore has been recovered from ineligible beneficiaries — including government employees, income tax payers and PSU employees — as of December 2025.
The Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), which was launched in September 2018, provides… $5,000 per family per year for hospital treatment, targeting the bottom 40% of the population. As of October 2025, 32,320 hospitals are equipped and 178,000 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs are operational across the country. The scheme is now operational in all 36 states and union territories after West Bengal joins in May 2026.
Dr VK Paul, a healthcare expert and member of NITI Aayog who played a central role in designing the scheme, described Ayushman Bharat as the outstanding social intervention of the decade. “One of the schemes that stands out most to me in terms of its impact on our well-being is the Ayushman Bharat programme,” he said, noting that 60 lakh treatments worth Rs 60 lakh $Rs 77,298 crore has been provided over 10 years. As of December 2025, 1,184 hospitals have been closed due to fraudulent claims. $Fines worth Rs 231 crore were imposed and 411 hospitals were suspended.
Launched on August 15, 2019, Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) is to provide functional tap connections to every rural household. As of March 2026, more than 158.3 million rural households had tap water connections, compared to just 32.3 million when the mission began.
On housing, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), launched in April 2016, has achieved significant scale. As of August 2025, of the total target of 41.2 million homes, 38.5 million have been approved and 28.2 million have been completed. The scheme has been extended until 2029 with a new target of 49.5 million Boca homes.
Launched in April 2015, the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) provides collateral-free institutional credit to small enterprises. Eleven years later, 580 million loans have been approved with total disbursements exceeded $40 thousand crores. Women represent 68% of the total beneficiaries; 49% belong to SC, ST and OBC communities. Marking a decade since the programme, Prime Minister Modi said: “People read in the newspapers that this is a government of the rich. Even if you add up the total loans to all the rich, it will not amount to $33 thousand crores.”
