PM Vishwakarma Scheme

PM Vishwakarma is a transformative Central Sector Scheme launched by the Government of India on 17 September 2023 to extend holistic end-to-end support to traditional artisans and craftspeople who create products using hands and indigenous tools. Administered jointly by the Ministry of MSME, the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), and the Department of Financial Services (DFS), the scheme covers 18 notified traditional artisan trades spanning carpentry, boat making, blacksmithing, pottery, sculpture, cobbling, masonry, basket making, traditional toy crafting, tailoring, and fishing net making. The scheme operates across six comprehensive support pillars: (1) Recognition through a dedicated PM Vishwakarma Certificate and Digital ID Card; (2) Skill Upgradation featuring 5–7 days of Basic Training (40 hours) and 15 days of Advanced Training (120 hours) with a daily stipend of ₹500; (3) Toolkit Incentive of ₹15,000 provided as an e-voucher/digital grant upon completion of basic training; (4) Collateral-Free Enterprise Credit in two distinct tranches—Tranche 1 up to ₹1,00,000 (₹1 Lakh) for 18 months and Tranche 2 up to ₹2,00,000 (₹2 Lakh) for 30 months at a highly concessional interest rate of 5.0% per annum (with an 8.0% interest subvention paid by the Central Government); (5) Digital Transaction Incentive of ₹1 per eligible digital transaction (up to ₹100 per month); and (6) Comprehensive Marketing Support covering GeM onboarding, quality certification, branding, advertising, and international trade fair access. Enrolment is conducted via Common Service Centres (CSCs) on pmvishwakarma.gov.in followed by a transparent three-stage verification process (Gram Panchayat/ULB, District Implementation Committee, and State Screening Committee). The scheme is strictly one-person per family for self-employed traditional artisans aged 18 and above.