Salient features and Guidelines of PM Vishwakarma Scheme

Source: The post is based on the article “Salient features and Guidelines of PM Vishwakarma Scheme”  published in PIB on 21st September 2023

What is the News?

The Prime Minister has launched the PM Vishwakarma Scheme.

What is the PM Vishwakarma Scheme?

Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprise.

Type: Central Sector Scheme

Aim: To provide end-to-end support to artisans and craftspeople who work with their hands and tools. 

Coverage: The Scheme covers artisans and craftspeople engaged in 18 trades.

Benefits under the scheme:

– Recognition: Recognition of artisans and craftspeople through PM Vishwakarma certificate and ID card.

– Skill Upgradation: Basic Training of 5-7 days and Advanced Training of 15 days or more, with a stipend of Rs. 500 per day;

– Toolkit Incentive: A toolkit incentive of upto Rs. 15,000 in the form of e-vouchers at the beginning of Basic Skill Training.

– Credit Support: Collateral free ‘Enterprise Development Loans’ of upto Rs. 3 lakh in two tranches of Rs. 1 lakh and Rs. 2 lakh with tenures of 18 months and 30 months, respectively, at a concessional rate of interest fixed at 5%, with Government of India subvention to the extent of 8%. 

– Beneficiaries who have completed Basic Training will be eligible to avail the first tranche of credit support of upto Rs. 1 lakh.The second loan tranche will be available to beneficiaries who have availed the 1st tranche and maintained a standard loan account and have adopted digital transactions in their business or have undergone Advanced Training.

– Incentive for Digital Transaction: An amount of Rs 1 per digital transaction, upto maximum 100 transactions monthly will be credited to the beneficiary’s account for each digital pay-out or receipt.

– Marketing Support: Marketing support will be provided to the artisans and craftspeople in the form of quality certification, branding, onboarding on e-commerce platforms such as GeM, advertising, publicity and other marketing activities to improve linkage to value chain.

– Recognition as entrepreneurs: The scheme will onboard the beneficiaries on Udyam Assist Platform as ‘entrepreneurs’ in the formal MSME ecosystem.