14th September 2026 - 4 min read
Four new aid and grant programmes for the Indian community will open for applications from 14 September 2026. They’re part of seven new programmes introduced by the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (MITRA), with a total allocation of RM59.76 million.
The four programmes open to applicants cover university students, business owners, and places of worship. The other three will be carried out through Tamil national-type schools (SJKT).
Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan announced the programmes in Kuala Lumpur on 10 September. More than 20,000 individuals are expected to benefit, alongside around 600 schools and places of worship.
The student aid, device, and business grant programmes are for Indian households in the B40 and M40 income groups, although the RM2,000 student aid is limited to B40 households. The MADANI Harmony Programme is for gurdwaras and Indian churches, while Hindu temples can apply under a separate programme.
| Programme | Who It’s For | What You Get |
| MADANI Student Special Aid Programme | B40 university students | One-off RM2,000 payment for 5,000 students |
| MADANI Device Programme | First-year B40 and M40 university students | A digital device for 5,000 students |
| Uyarvu MADANI 2.0 | B40 and M40 Indian business owners | An extra RM25 million in grants, for about 700 more business owners |
| MADANI Harmony Programme | Gurdwaras and Indian churches | RM20,000 each for up to 250 places of worship |
| Tamil Language Empowerment Programme | SPM and STPM students | Tamil language guidance and additional tuition for 8,690 students |
| 2026 SJKT ICT Equipment Initiative | Tamil national-type schools | 400 smart boards for 358 schools |
| Crime Prevention Programme | SJKT pupils in Melaka | Discipline and resilience activities for 700 pupils |
The MADANI Student Special Aid Programme has RM10 million to provide a one-off RM2,000 payment to 5,000 B40 university students. The MADANI Device Programme has RM13.25 million to provide a digital device to 5,000 first-year university students from B40 and M40 households.
The type of device and the full eligibility criteria for both programmes haven’t been announced yet.
MITRA is putting another RM25 million into Uyarvu MADANI 2.0, bringing the programme’s total fund to RM50 million for 1,400 business owners. The first round, which opened in June, was for 700 business owners, with grants of up to RM50,000. That leaves room for about 700 more business owners in the new round.
The first round required applicants to be Malaysian citizens aged between 21 and 55, with businesses registered with the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM). MITRA hasn’t yet confirmed whether the same eligibility requirements or grant amounts will apply to the new round.
As of 10 September, 285 business owners had received grants totalling RM7.49 million. This included 159 recipients from 24 types of business across 10 states who received their grants on the same day.
The 2026 SJKT ICT Equipment Initiative has RM5.36 million to provide 400 smart boards across 358 Tamil national-type schools.
Another RM900,680 has been allocated for Tamil language guidance and additional tuition for 8,690 SPM and STPM students. The programme will be carried out with the Ministry of Education (MOE).
In Melaka, 700 SJKT pupils will also take part in a RM250,000 crime prevention programme in November. Conducted with the Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF), the programme will focus on discipline and resilience.
There are no application dates for these school programmes, as participation will be coordinated through the schools.
The MADANI Harmony Programme has a RM5 million allocation for gurdwaras and Indian churches. Up to 250 places of worship will receive RM20,000 each, which is meant to help them become learning centres and venues for community activities.
Hindu temples are covered under a separate MITRA programme, Dharma MADANI. Each eligible temple registered with the Registrar of Societies can receive a one-off RM20,000 grant.
The application links and full eligibility requirements for the four programmes aren’t out yet.
The student aid and device programmes will accept applications from 14 September to 31 October 2026, while applications for Uyarvu MADANI 2.0 and the MADANI Harmony Programme will be open from 14 September to 13 October 2026. MITRA’s previous programmes were announced through its website and official Facebook page, so check both for the links from 14 September.
If you help run a Hindu temple, the Dharma MADANI deadline comes first. Applications for phase two close at 5pm on 18 September.
The first Uyarvu MADANI round would close once it received 1,500 applications, and MITRA received 1,340 within five days of opening. That round also asked for your latest tax statement or audited financial report, SSM registration, a bank statement, and a business plan, which you can get ready in case the new round follows the same rules.
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As a creative content writer, Eloise has covered finance, business, lifestyle topics, and even moonlights as a singer-songwriter outside of RinggitPlus. Her current interests are learning the best ways to optimise spending and credit card hacks to gain more airline miles.
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