SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir stands at the top position in the entire country with the highest number of toolkits 17000 (approx) delivered directly to the homes of artisans under the PM Vishwakarma scheme.
This achievement demonstrates the commitment of the Union Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in reaching out to the grassroots level and providing tangible benefits to artisans who are traditionally underserved.
The Union Ministry of MSME has been proactively working towards the promotion of artisans under traditional trades such as sculptor, fisher net maker, hammer and toolkit maker, boat maker etc under the PM Vishwakarma Scheme. These trades have seen relatively very low participation in the scheme, particularly in regions like Jammu and Kashmir. The Ministry’s efforts aim to uplift these trades and ensure that the artisans are equipped with the necessary tools, financial support, and knowledge to continue their craft sustainably.
Assistant Director, MSME, Saheel Alaqband highlighted the efforts undertaken by the Branch MSME DFO Srinagar under Ministry of MSME in Kashmir region in raising awareness and encouraging participation in the scheme.
Speaking about the initiatives, Alaqband mentioned that recently this office, in collaboration with district administrations in Ganderbal, Baramulla, and Pulwama, conducted awareness programs targeting these low-participation trades.
The awareness programs aimed not only to educate artisans about the PM Vishwakarma Scheme but also provided a platform for on-the-spot registration for artisans involved in the mentioned trades in few programs. These efforts were meticulously carried out in coordination with the district administrations to ensure maximum outreach and impact.
In addition to the awareness programs, the field office organized awareness camps at the workplaces of the artisans, further bridging the gap between government initiatives and artisans’ needs.
Recently, a specific awareness program was conducted in Srinagar for sculptors, aiming to familiarize them with the scheme and its benefits. The goal was to ensure that sculptors were fully informed about the available support and that they could take advantage of the scheme to sustain and expand their businesses.
