Skill, labour, talent for MSMEs: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hailing the PM Vishwakarma Kaushal Samman Yojana (PM-VIKAS) announced in the budget this year said the scheme will help train small artisans and craftsmen, help them learn about MSMEs and also connect with them. “In this year’s budget, an initiative has been taken to provide training to small artisans through PM Vishwakarma Yojana and also to connect them with MSME,” PM Modi said addressing a training programme for newly inducted teachers in Madhya Pradesh.
The PM Vishwakarma Yojana was announced in the budget in February for traditional artisans and craftspeople to enable them to improve the quality, scale and reach of their products to integrate 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, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said in her budget speech.
In March this year also, underscoring the scheme’s significance, PM Modi had said that it will benefit crores of artisans and that the government will ensure the artisans get loans easily, their skills are enhanced, and they receive all kinds of technical support.
He had also urged all stakeholders to discuss and prepare an action plan to reach out to artisans based in very remote areas as well. “There are many of them (artisans) who can become suppliers and producers for our MSME sector. The industrial world can increase production by linking these people with their needs. The industry can also provide them with skill and quality training,” he added.
Importantly, the export of artisanal handicraft products including via e-commerce platforms had jumped by 26.2 per cent to Rs 32,417 crore in FY22 from Rs 25,679 crore in FY21. According to the data shared by Minister of State for Textiles Darshana Jardosh in the Parliament in December last year, 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.
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