PM Vikas to aid artisans with financial support, skill training, digital techniques

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget 2023 speech on Wednesday announced the launch of the PM Vishwakarma Kaushal Samman (PM Vikas) to aid traditional artisans and craftspeople in the country.

She said, "For centuries, traditional artisans and craftspeople, who work with their hands using tools, have brought renown for India. They are generally referred to as Vishwakarma. The art and handicraft created by them represents the true spirit of Aatmanirbhar Bharat."

The new scheme will enable traditional artisans to improve the quality, scale, and reach of their products, integrating them with the MSME value chain.

"The components of the scheme will include not only financial support but also access to advanced skill training, knowledge of modern digital techniques and efficient green technologies, brand promotion, linkage with local and global markets, digital payments, and social security. This will greatly benefit the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs, women, and people belonging to the weaker sections," she added.

India is home to a wide array of traditional handicrafts that is well-known the world over. However, the sector is plagued by a number of issues. These include the non-adoption of craft by newer generations and the difficulty in keeping up with accelerated digital adoption, leaving them behind in the ecommerce race.

Despite these, the export of handicraft products increased by 26.2% to Rs 32,417 crore in FY 2022 from Rs 25,679 crore in the previous fiscal. Minister of State for Exports, Darshana Ghosh, quoting data from the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCI&S) had shared in December that maximum exports were of woodware products worth Rs 7,891 crore in FY22, followed by embroidered and crocheted goods amounting to Rs 5,674 crore, art metal wares worth Rs 4,179 crore, handprinted textiles worth Rs 2,995 crore and more.