India, April 21 -- The Government of India has issued a release:
As part of the Civil Services Day celebrations organized by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, a breakaway session on "Sustainable Livelihood through PM Vishwakarma" was organized by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises at Vigyan Bhawan.
The session brought together senior officials and domain experts to review the progress and impact of the PM Vishwakarma, which aims to empower traditional artisans and craftspeople across the country.
The session was steered by Dr. Rajneesh, Additional Secretary & Development Commissioner, Ministry of MSME, who moderated the proceedings. In his opening remarks, he provided a comprehensive overview of the scheme's vision, implementation framework, and transformative potential. He highlighted that PM Vishwakarma operates through a 100% paperless and end-to-end digital mechanism, ensuring transparency, efficiency, and ease of access for beneficiaries. He also emphasized the scheme's strong focus on marketing and digital support interventions, including participation in major marketing events, dedicated promotional initiatives, collaborations with e-commerce platforms, and product showcasing at railway stations under the One Station One Product (OSOP) initiative of Indian Railways.
The deliberations commenced with an address by Shri S.C.L. Das, Secretary, Ministry of MSME. He underscored that PM Vishwakarma reflects a whole-of-government approach, with the Ministry of MSME, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and the Department of Financial Services working in close coordination to ensure effective implementation. He highlighted key learnings from the scheme's data-driven and fully digital framework and noted that it has achieved over 30 lakh registrations. He also informed that the scheme has been conferred the Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Public Administration 2024, reflecting its innovation-driven and citizen-centric approach.
Ms. Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, highlighted progress under the skill development component, noting that over 23 lakh beneficiaries have completed basic training. She emphasized the rollout of advanced training programmes to enhance productivity and enterprise capabilities, while stressing the importance of accessible training infrastructure and continuous upskilling.
Shri Manoj Muttathil Ayyappan, Joint Secretary, Department of Financial Services, shared insights on the credit component of the scheme. He highlighted that collateral-free credit and interest subvention have enabled large-scale financial inclusion of artisans and emphasized the need for continued process simplification, enhanced financial literacy, and strengthened last-mile banking support.
Ms. Vandita Kaul, Secretary, Department of Posts, elaborated on India Post's role in ensuring last-mile delivery of toolkits through an innovative e-voucher-based mechanism. She noted that over 15 lakh toolkits have been delivered across the country, including remote regions, supported by digital platforms, real-time tracking, and a robust logistics framework. She also highlighted the potential of leveraging the scheme's data analytics approach for other government initiatives.
Shri Bharat Khera, Officer on Special Duty (OSD), Ministry of MSME, outlined key implementation learnings, emphasizing the scheme's Guru-Shishya Parampara approach and the selection of 18 trades. He noted that the scheme is enabling artisans to transition from informal livelihoods to sustainable enterprises and is likely to attract youth towards traditional crafts.
Shri Manoj Mittal, Chairman and Managing Director, Small Industries Development Bank of India, highlighted the role of technology in enabling seamless implementation. He noted that a dedicated digital portal has streamlined beneficiary enrolment and lifecycle management, improving efficiency, transparency, and access to credit.
The session concluded with closing remarks by Shri S.C.L. Das, who appreciated the contributions of all panelists and stakeholders and thanked participants for their active engagement.
The session was widely appreciated for showcasing an integrated approach to sustainable livelihood generation. It highlighted how convergence of skill development, financial inclusion, technology, and market access under PM Vishwakarma is empowering traditional artisans and strengthening grassroots entrepreneurship across India.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
