Budget 2023 | Finance Minister announces PM-VIKAS package for artisans and craftspeople
The Hindu
The scheme will provide integrated solutions to artisans and craftspersons from financial support to digital training
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday, February 1, announced a package of assistance for artisans and craftspeople while presenting the Union Budget 2023-24 in Parliament. The newly-conceptualised Pradhan Mantri Vishwakarma Kaushal Samman (PM-VIKAS) scheme, she said, will enable the country’s artisans to improve the quality, scale, and reach of their products, integrating them with the Micro, Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (MSME) value chain.
“For centuries, traditional artisans and craftspeople who worked with their hands using tools have brought renown to India,” the Minister said, adding that they are generally referred to as ‘Vishwakarma’. Invoking the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, Ms. Sitharaman said, the art and handicrafts created by the Vishwakarma represent the true spirit of a self-reliant India.
The Minister highlighted some of the key components of the new scheme-
She added that the PM-VIKAS scheme will greatly benefit the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Castes, women and people belonging to the weaker sections.