by On the 17th of September, 2023, Prime Minister launched a Central Sector Scheme aimed at providing comprehensive support to artisans and craftspeople who rely on their manual skills and tools. This program encompasses artisans and craftspeople engaged in 18 distinct trades, including carpenters (Suthar/Badhai), boat makers, armorers, blacksmiths (Lohar), hammer and tool kit makers, locksmiths, goldsmiths (Sonar), potters (Kumhaar), sculptors (Moortikar, stone carvers), stone breakers, cobblers (Charmkar)/shoesmiths/footwear artisans, masons (Rajmistri), basket/mat/broom makers/coir weavers, doll and toy makers (traditional), barbers (Naai), garland makers (Malakaar), washermen (Dhobi), tailors (Darzi), and fishing net makers.
This scheme is designed to offer a range of advantages to artisans and craftspeople, including:
Recognition: Artisans and craftspeople will receive recognition through the PM Vishwakarma certificate and ID card.
Skill Upgradation: Participants can access basic training lasting 5-7 days and advanced training for 15 days or more, with a stipend of Rs. 500 per day.
Toolkit Incentive: At the start of basic skill training, participants will be provided with a toolkit incentive of up to Rs. 15,000 in the form of e-vouchers.
Credit Support: Collateral-free ‘Enterprise Development Loans’ of up to Rs. 3 lakh will be available in two tranches, with the first tranche of Rs. 1 lakh and the second tranche of Rs. 2 lakh. The loans will have tenures of 18 months and 30 months, respectively, with a concessional interest rate fixed at 5%. The Government of India will provide a subvention of 8% on the interest. Beneficiaries who have completed basic training can avail of the first loan tranche, and the second tranche will be accessible to those who have utilized the first tranche and maintained a standard loan account or have adopted digital transactions in their business or have undergone advanced training.
Incentive for Digital Transactions: Beneficiaries will receive an incentive of Re. 1 per digital transaction, up to a maximum of 100 transactions per month, credited to their accounts for each digital payout or receipt.
Marketing Support: Artisans and craftspeople will receive marketing support in the form of quality certification, branding, onboarding on e-commerce platforms such as GeM, advertising, publicity, and other marketing activities aimed at enhancing their connection to the value chain.
Apart from these benefits, the scheme will enroll beneficiaries as ‘entrepreneurs’ in the formal MSME ecosystem on the Udyam Assist Platform. Enrollment will be conducted through Common Service Centers with Aadhaar-based biometric authentication on the PM Vishwakarma portal. The process will include three-step verification, involving verification at the Gram Panchayat/ULB level, vetting, and recommendation by the District Implementation Committee, and final approval by the Screening Committee.
