Dharmendra Pradhan Felicitates 26 Vishwakarma Gurus Across 18 Trades in Bhubaneswar

GG News Bureau
Bhubaneswar, 25th Nov. To honor the PM Vishwakarma Gurus from various trades under the PM Vishwakarma scheme, Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister for Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, felicitated 26 expert artisans and craftsmen during the ‘Samman Samaroh of Vishwakarma Gurus’ event.

These artisans will serve as brand ambassadors for the scheme and will have opportunities to become Master Trainers and Trainers in their respective trades.

During the event, Dharmendra Pradhan expressed his happiness in listening to the experiences of the PM Vishwakarma Gurus.

He emphasized that every artisan and sculptor in Odisha is a Vishwakarma and their creations are unique. The focus will be on creating awareness and connecting with more artisans. The Prime Minister launched the ‘PM Vishwakarma’ scheme, which includes 18 trades and 28 sub-trades.

The scheme aims to provide comprehensive support to artisans and craftspeople, equipping them with modern tools, techniques, and credit support.

The event was attended by Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary, MSDE; Trishaljit Sethi, DG, Directorate General of Training (DGT), Sonal Mishra, Joint Secretary, MSDE, Ishita Ganguli Tripathy, Additional Development Commissioner, MSME, Ved Mani Tiwari, CEO, NSDC, Col. Mahendra Singh Payaal, Chief Program Officer, NSDC.

The scheme aims to make the Guru-Shishya tradition more scalable, accessible, and innovative by training artisans in modern tools, design elements, and latest technologies.

It also aims to preserve traditional skills, nurture entrepreneurial talent, market local products, and promote socio-economic growth through awareness programs and felicitation ceremonies.

The PM Vishwakarma Gurus can share their personal experiences and learnings with those who can benefit from the scheme.

The ministry envisions that by streamlining and expediting the orientation of these experts, the Gurus will become brand ambassadors of their respective trades under the PM Vishwakarma scheme.

They will help create awareness of the scheme at the field level and can be onboarded as Master Trainers.

To further promote growth, collaborative efforts will be made to engage with skill training institutions such as NIESBUD, ITIs, PMKK, PMKVY, UGC, CIPET, and other centers to nurture a structured and outcome-driven training framework in India.

So far, there have been over 17 lakh registrations on the PM Vishwakarma portal. The analysis of the applications received shows that the top 5 trades in terms of demand for skill training in Odisha are Mason, Tailor, Carpenter, Basket/Mat/Broom maker, Coir Weaver, and Potter.

The Ministry will leverage the reach and expertise of CSCs to enhance registrations of trainers at the regional level while preserving traditional crafts and promoting them in contemporary contexts.

The financial outlay for the scheme from FY 2023-2024 to FY 2027-28 is ₹13,000 crore.

The scheme aims to improve the accessibility and quality of products and services offered by traditional artisans and craftsmen. It offers collateral-free enterprise development loans of ₹1 lakh (first tranche to be repaid in 18 months) and ₹2 lakh (second tranche to be repaid in 30 months).

The beneficiary will be charged a concessional interest rate of 5%, with the Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises paying an interest subvention cap of 8%.

The Central government will bear the credit guarantee fees. As part of the implementation of the PM Vishwakarma scheme, the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has also announced the Training of Master Trainers & Assessors Program.

This program aims to empower artisans and craftsmen in identified trades by equipping them with modern technology skills and entrepreneurial knowledge.

The participants will receive training on various aspects such as entrepreneurial competencies, business plan preparation, government support ecosystem, financial literacy, digital and social media marketing, branding, and marketing.

They will also be provided with a modern tool kit to enhance their skills and adapt to contemporary practices.

Indian artisans have played a significant role in India’s economy, leaving their mark on various aspects of everyday life. Odisha, known as Utkala in ancient and medieval times, has been a land of excellence in art and craft.