PIB TrackerPM Vishwakarma reaches 24 lakh artisans across 18 trades
The scheme for traditional artisans and craftspeople — covering 18 trades from carpenter and potter to goldsmith and boat maker — has supported over 24 lakh beneficiaries with skills, collateral-free credit, toolkits and market access since its 2023 launch.
What happened
- PM Vishwakarma (launched 17 September 2023) has empowered over 24 lakh traditional artisans.
- It covers 18 traditional trades — carpenter, potter, goldsmith, boat maker and more.
- Support spans skills, collateral-free credit, toolkits and market access.
- Marketing includes trade fairs, state exhibitions and e-commerce platforms.
- A concurrent evaluation by IIM Mumbai covered 11,591 beneficiaries across all states/UTs.
For Prelims
- PM Vishwakarma: launched 17 September 2023 for artisans and craftspeople of 18 traditional trades working with hands and tools.
- Reach: over 24 lakh beneficiaries.
- The 18 trades: include carpenter, boat maker, armourer, blacksmith, goldsmith, potter, mason, barber, tailor, fishing-net maker.
- Support package: recognition (certificate/ID), skill upgradation with stipend, toolkit incentive, collateral-free concessional loans, digital-transaction incentives.
- Marketing: trade fairs, state exhibitions and e-commerce onboarding.
- Evaluation: a concurrent study by IIM Mumbai covering 11,591 beneficiaries.
For UPSC: A livelihoods-and-MSME item. Use it for support to the traditional artisan economy, credit and formalisation for informal workers, skill upgradation with market linkage, and preserving traditional crafts as living livelihoods.
What it is NOT: This is a support scheme for individual artisans in 18 notified trades — not a general MSME credit scheme or a handicrafts-export programme.
For Mains
Syllabus: GS3.2 · GS2.12 · Linkage L1
Anchor
The hands that make India — formal support reaching the traditional artisan at last.
Substantiation (data)
Over 24 lakh artisans across 18 trades since September 2023, with skills, collateral-free credit, toolkits and market linkage; evaluated by IIM Mumbai across 11,591 beneficiaries.
Exemplification
Trade fairs and e-commerce onboarding connect village artisans to domestic and international markets.
Problematisation
Credit uptake, market competition from machine-made goods, and the durability of incomes after the scheme's support remain open questions.
Way-forward
Deepen market linkages and design inputs, sustain credit access, and connect artisans to GI branding and tourism value chains.
Position
Traditional crafts are livelihoods and heritage at once — support must make them economically viable, not merely preserved.
Deploys into: Inclusive growth + vulnerable sections (GS3.2, GS2.12) · the traditional artisan economy, credit and formalisation for informal workers, and skilling with market linkage.
Ministry of MSME · 2026-07-30 · PRID 2291931 · PIB source ↗