PM Vishwakarma Yojana, launched in September 2023, is an important initiative of the Government of India to support and empower traditional artisans and craftsmen across the country. These skilled individuals, often referred to as “Vishwakarma”, preserve and promote India’s rich heritage of handicrafts and handloom work.
Objectives of PM Vishwakarma Scheme
PM Vishwakarma Yojana consists of various primary goals focused on providing support and empowerment to artisans and craftsmen in India. Here are some of the key objectives:
- Skill and Knowledge Enhancement: This initiative encourages skill development by conducting training programs and workshops. It enables artisans to enhance their traditional skills, acquire new technology and produce better products. This proactive approach ensures their market relevance and enables them to adapt to evolving demands.
- Increasing Quality and Productivity: This initiative aims to increase the quality and productivity of artisans’ work by providing them access to modern tools and equipment. This will not only make their products more attractive to buyers but is also likely to increase their income.
- Enabling Financial Access: The scheme facilitates access to collateral-free loans and other financial support mechanisms, enabling artisans to overcome a significant hurdle in expanding their business. This empowers them to invest in raw materials, equipment and marketing and promote further growth.
- Promoting Digital Integration: This initiative provides incentives for digital transactions to enhance financial literacy and inclusion among artisans. Additionally, it encourages them to establish a digital presence for their businesses, expanding market reach and visibility.
- Increasing Market Linkages: Through branding, use of e-commerce platforms and participation in trade fairs, this initiative seeks to strengthen market linkages, connecting artisans directly to both domestic and international markets. This strategy opens new sales channels, resulting in improvements in their earning potential.
- Preservation of Traditional Crafts: The scheme plays an important role in preserving and promoting the diverse heritage of traditional crafts of India by providing support to the artisans and their skills. This commitment ensures that age-old practices are transmitted to future generations, keeping these traditions alive and thriving.
- Promoting empowerment in individuals and communities: In short, PM Vishwakarma Yojana seeks to empower individual artisans and craft communities by equipping them with essential resources and skills, enabling self-reliance and promoting economic prosperity. This, in turn, contributes to India’s broader social and economic development.
Objectives of PM Vishwakarma Scheme
- To recognize artisans and craftsmen as ‘Vishwakarma’, making them eligible for various benefits offered under the scheme.
- Offering skills enhancement to hone their capabilities and introduce them to relevant training possibilities.
- As stated on the official website, it facilitates convenient access to loans without collateral and reduces loan costs through interest subvention.
- Creating avenues for brand promotion and establishing market linkages to assist ‘Vishwakarma’ in exploring new avenues of growth.
Key Benefits of PM Vishwakarma Yojana
The scheme adopts a comprehensive approach, aiming to provide end-to-end support to Vishwakarma. Here are the major benefits:
- Recognition: Artisans get official recognition through PM Vishwakarma certificate and ID card, making their skills recognized and making it easier to avail benefits.
- Skill Upgradation: This scheme provides training opportunities after skill verification. This includes basic training to strengthen core skills and advanced training to keep them updated with emerging trends.
- Modern Equipment and Tools: Grant up to Rs. Rs 15,000 is provided in the form of an e-voucher to help the artisans acquire modern tools and equipment. This can significantly increase their productivity and product quality.
- Loan Assistance: The scheme facilitates access to collateral-free loans, reducing financial constraints and enabling artisans to expand their businesses.
- Market Linkage and Promotion: The National Committee for Marketing (NCM) plays a vital role by providing services like quality certification, branding and promotion, e-commerce linkage and support for participation in trade fairs.
Additionally, incentives for digital transactions encourage the adoption of cashless methods.
Eligibility Criteria for this Scheme
Persons aged 18 years and above engaged in handicraft work or artisan work in family-centred traditional occupations within the unorganized sector, working on a self-employment basis, are eligible for assistance through the Vishwakarma Scheme. The program currently includes 18 different trades, such as carpentry, blacksmithing, pottery, weaving and more.
The following documents must be readily available to access the benefits of this program.
- Aadhar card
- Voter ID Card
- proof of business
- mobile number
- Bank account details
- income certificate
- Caste Certificate (if applicable)
How to Apply Online for PM Vishwakarma Yojana?
The process to apply online for PM Vishwakarma Yojana is straightforward and can be completed through a series of simple and user-friendly steps. These steps include:
- Official Website: Start by accessing the official website of PM Vishwakarma Yojana.
- Registration: Select the “Register” option and complete the process by entering your mobile number and performing Aadhaar e-KYC verification.
- Artisan Enrollment Form: After registration, proceed to the “Apply Online for Artisan Registration Form” section.
- Completing the Form: Fill the application form thoroughly with accurate details including your name, skill set, Aadhaar number and other required information.
- Document Submission: Upload scanned copies of required documents like your Aadhar Card, Bank Statement, Skill Certificate, etc.
- Application Review: Review your application carefully before submitting it. Once submitted, you will receive an Application ID for tracking purposes.
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