PM Narendra Modi will publicly introduce PM Vishwakarma, the recently unveiled programme for artisans from the Centre, on September 17 in honour of Vishwakarma Jayanti. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs recently allocated 13,000 crore for the scheme, which Mr. Modi had mentioned in his Independence Day speech. The programme will be open to traditional artisans and crafters for five fiscal years, from 2023–24 to 2027–28.
The Prime Minister has consistently made it a priority to encourage those who work in traditional crafts. The Prime Minister’s Office stated in a release that the goal of this focus is to “maintain the age-old tradition, culture, and diverse heritage alive and flourishing through local products, art, and crafts, in addition to providing financial support to the artisans and craftspeople.”
The artisans can register using biometrics under the programme via the PM Vishwakarma portal. The Prime Minister’s Office continued, “They will be given recognition through the PM Vishwakarma certificate and ID card, skill upgradation involving basic and advanced training, toolkit incentive of 15,000, collateral-free credit support up to 1 lakh (first tranche) and 2 lakh (second tranche) at a concessional interest rate of 5%, incentive for digital transactions, and marketing support.
