“No government had ever bothered to promote us. Now, we will get funds and benefit from the Vishwakarma scheme”.

This statement of Sudhir Lohar, a blacksmith, is symptomatic of the general opinion of craftsmen and artisans on the Pradhan Mantri Vishwakarma Kaushal Samman yojna planned to be launched by the Modi government.

The Vishwakarma yojna figured in the Union Budget announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday. It is a unique initiative for empowering the Vishwakarma community, a large class of people scattered across the country.

“The PM VIKAS (Pradhan Mantri Vishwakarma Kaushal Samman) yojana will work to give wings to these people engaged in various traditional & skilled professions”, said Rajpal Manjhi, a school teacher whose father is an artisan connected Khadi NGO in Piskamore, Ranchi.

As per the yojna, the Modi government plans to help them by providing skill training, equipping them with technology and equipments and also opening lines of credit to them for their all-round empowerment & development.

The PM VIKAS is aimed at unleashing the potential of thousands of artisans & craftsmen across the country. As the ‘Vishwakarmas’ harness the growth opportunities, they will add to the India growth story and become a strong constituent of the nation’s growth.

If implemented by the government agency and banks jointly, this special package for India’s artisans & craftsmen under the PM Vishwakarma Kaushal Samman can be a game changer by integrating them with the MSME value chain. 

Once they get integrated with MSME chain, their score & scale of business opportunity is bound to enhance multifold.