Mapping 12 years of welfare expansion during Modi rule

WBiddy Narendra Modi came to force in May 2014, bharat’s welfare legal transfer landscape painting was marked by fragmentation, leakages and the heavy presence of intermediaries between the state and its intended beneficiaries.Twelve years on, the government’s flagship social schemes collectively constitute one of the largest welfare architectures in the world — reaching over 800 million people on food security alone, disbursing ₹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), launched during the Covid-19 in March 2020 and made permanent from January 2024, stands as the single largest expenditure in the welfare portfolio. The scheme covers 813.5 million beneficiaries — roughly 60% of India’s population — providing foodgrains entirely free of cost since January 2023, with the food subsidy bill crossing ₹2 lakh crore in FY26. Together with the existing National Food Security Act entitlements, it provides 56-58 million tonnes of foodgrains annually. No other government programme in the world matches its coverage.The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), launched in February 2019, provides ₹6,000 annually in three instalments to landholding farmer families. As of the 22nd instalment released in March 2026 in Guwahati, over ₹4.27 lakh crore has been disbursed since inception to more than 110 million unique farmer families, making it one of the world’s largest Direct Benefit Transfer initiatives. Of the 93.2 million farmers covered in the March instalment, 21.5 million were women. ₹416.75 crore has been recovered from ineligible beneficiaries — including government employees, income tax payers and PSU staff — as of December 2025.Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), launched in September 2018, provides ₹5 lakh per family per year for hospitalisation, targeting the bottom 40% of the population. As of October 2025, 32,320 hospitals are empanelled 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 joined in May 2026.Dr VK Paul, healthcare expert and NITI Aayog member who played a central role in designing the scheme, called Ayushman Bharat the standout welfare intervention of the decade. “One scheme that stands out the most for me in terms of its impact on our welfare is Ayushman Bharat,” he said, noting 60 million treatments worth ₹77,298 crore have been provided over 10 years. As of December 2025, 1,184 hospitals had been de-empanelled for fraudulent claims, ₹231 crore in penalties levied and 411 hospitals suspended.The Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), launched on August 15, 2019, set out to provide functional tap connections to every rural household. As of March 2026, over 158.3 million rural households have tap water connections, up from only 32.3 million when the mission began.On housing, Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), launched in April 2016, has achieved significant scale. As of August 2025, out of a total target of 41.2 million houses, 38.5 million have been sanctioned and 28.2 million completed. The scheme has been extended to 2029 with a fresh target of 49.5 million pucca houses.The Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY), launched in April 2015, set out to extend collateral-free institutional credit to micro enterprises. Eleven years on, 580 million loans have been sanctioned with total disbursements crossing ₹40 lakh crore. Women account for 68% of all beneficiaries; 49% belong to SC, ST and OBC communities. Prime Minister Modi, marking the scheme’s decade, said: “People read in newspapers that this is a government of the rich. Even if you add up the total loans of all the rich, it won’t amount to ₹33 lakh crore.”