The PM Vishwakarma scheme is approaching the completion of three years since its launch and has already achieved the target of registering 30 lakh beneficiaries. Under the scheme, artisans and craftspeople are provided with facilities such as skill training, toolkits, credit support, digital incentives, and market access.
New markets are being opened for their products by linking beneficiaries with Udyam Assist, GeM, e-commerce platforms, trade fairs, and exhibitions. Based on the core principles of respect, capability, and prosperity, this scheme is a step towards making artisans self-reliant while strengthening the Guru-Shishya (mentor-apprentice) tradition and traditional skills.
Support for Traditional Artisans and Craftspeople
India’s traditional artisans and craftspeople are an integral part of the local economy and the nation’s rich cultural heritage. Their work is rooted in traditional skills, knowledge passed down through families, and small-scale enterprises.
The PM Vishwakarma scheme was launched on September 17, 2023, with the aim of providing end-to-end support to them. The scheme rests on three key pillars: respect, capability, and prosperity. It aims to provide traditional artisans and craftspeople with dignity, skills, and economic opportunities. Simultaneously, it strives to preserve and strengthen the Guru-Shishya tradition and family-based traditional skills.
18 Traditional Trades Included in the Scheme
The total outlay for this Central Sector scheme, spanning the financial years 2023-24 to 2027-28, is ₹13,000 crore. It covers 18 traditional trades. The scheme aims to enhance the quality of artisans’ products and services and improve their market access, while also integrating them into domestic and global supply chains. The scheme is set to complete three years on September 17, 2026, and the target of registering 30 lakh beneficiaries has already been met.
Key Components of the Scheme
Under PM Vishwakarma, artisans and craftspeople are provided with various forms of support in an integrated manner. Its key components include recognition, skill upgradation, toolkit incentives, credit support, incentives for digital transactions, and marketing assistance.
PM Vishwakarma Certificate and ID Card
Upon completion of the registration and verification process, beneficiaries are granted recognition through the PM Vishwakarma Certificate and ID Card.
Skill Training and Exposure to Modern Techniques
Through skill upgradation, beneficiaries are introduced to modern tools, best practices, and new designs. The training also covers information related to digital transactions, marketing, and entrepreneurship. Basic training lasts for 5 to 7 days, while advanced training extends to 15 days or more. Trainees receive a stipend of ₹500 per day.
Modern Toolkit Worth Up to ₹15,000
Eligible beneficiaries of the scheme are provided with modern toolkits worth up to ₹15,000. This helps them perform their work more effectively and efficiently.
Collateral-free Loan Up to ₹3 Lakh
Under PM Vishwakarma, artisans are provided with a collateral-free enterprise development loan of up to ₹3 lakh in two instalments. The first instalment is up to ₹1 lakh with a tenure of 18 months; completing basic training is mandatory for this instalment. The second instalment is up to ₹2 lakh with a tenure of 30 months.
A concessional interest rate of 5% applies to the loan, with the government providing an interest subvention of up to 8%. Eligibility for the second instalment is linked to the successful repayment of the first instalment and the adoption of digital transactions or the completion of advanced training.
Digital Transactions and Market Support
The PM Vishwakarma scheme offers digital and marketing support alongside financial assistance. To promote digital transactions, an incentive of ₹1 per digital payment or receipt is provided, subject to a maximum of 100 transactions per month. Marketing support includes opportunities related to trade fairs, exhibitions, branding, advertising, promotion, and integration with e-commerce platforms like GeM. This assists artisans in adopting formal business practices and gaining access to wider markets.
Eligibility for Artisans Aged 18 and Above
The PM Vishwakarma scheme is designed for artisans and craftspeople aged 18 or older who work with their hands and tools in any of the 18 notified traditional trades. Eligible beneficiaries must be engaged in self-employment within the unorganised sector. Applicants must not have availed of loans under similar credit-based government schemes for self-employment or business development during the preceding five years.
Registration and benefits are limited to one family member, comprising the husband, wife, and unmarried children. Individuals employed in government service and their family members are ineligible. Beneficiaries of Mudra and PM SVANidhi schemes who have fully repaid their loans are eligible under PM Vishwakarma.
Self-Employment and the Unorganised Sector
A self-employed individual is someone who runs their own work or business rather than working under an employer. Meanwhile, the unorganised sector primarily encompasses small and informal businesses as well as workers operating outside the organised sector.
The 18 Traditional Trades Included
Trades included under PM Vishwakarma are: Carpenter, Boat Maker, Armourer, Blacksmith, Hammer and Tool Kit Maker, Locksmith, Goldsmith, Potter, Sculptor and Stone Breaker, and Cobbler/Shoe-maker/Footwear Artisan.
