Inauguration of Exhibition-cum-Trade Fair for Artisans and craftspeople

Ludhiana, September 12, 2024: Prime Minister has launched a scheme viz. PM Vishwakarma for the benefit of artisans and craftsmen on l7th September 2023. This scheme has been designed to provide extensive support to artisans and craftspeople engaged in 18 traditional trades, fostering their skill development, financial stability, and market accessibility. The scheme aims at holistic development of artisans and craftsmen. It provides recognition of artisans/craftsmen, basic and advance training, toolkit upto Rs. 15000, loan up to Rs 3 lakh at subsidized interest rate of 5%, marketing support and incentives for digital transactions. Since the launch of the scheme, more than 18 lakh artisans have been registered.
 
To provide marketing support to PM Vishwakarma artisans and craftspeople, an Exhibition-cum-Trade Fair was inaugurated by Chief Guest of the event Sanjeev Chawla, Additional Development Commissioner, Ministry of MSME, Govt. of India on Thursday at Punjab Trade Centre, Ludhiana. The Exhibition-cum-Trade Fair will be organised for 3 days from 12th September to 14th September, in which PM Vishwakarma beneficiaries will showcase their products. Around 70 stalls have been allocated to different artisans and craftspeople of PM Vishwakarma beneficiaries, which comes from different districts of Punjab State and UT Chandigarh.
 
Kritikia Goyal, IAS joined the Exhibition as Guest of Honour. She visited all the stall in the exhibition. She interacted with participating Artisans & Craftspeople and also encouraged them to avail benefit of PM Vishwakarma and other govt schemes.
 
A Seminar on PM Vishwakarma scheme is also organized, during which all aspects of the PM Vishwakarma scheme were explained to the participants. Deepak Chechi, Assistant Director MSME-DFO welcomed all the dignitaries, participating Artisans & Craftspeople. He briefed about the PM Vishwakarma program.

Ishita Thaman, Assistant Director, MSME DFO, Ludhiana gave a brief presentation on PM Vishwakarma Scheme. She also mentioned that during the exhibition, there are stalls set up by Banking Institutes & Skilling Department to provide handholding support for availing benefit under the scheme. There is also a provision of registration of beneficiaries who are yet to enroll under the scheme as the stalls by Common Service Center have been set up. She emphasized that the motive of the Exhibition-cum-Trade Fairis to provide the marketing support to exhibitors & also handholding support to all Vishwakarmas who have registered or yet to register under the Scheme.

The Chief Guest of the program, Sanjeev Chawla, Additional Development Commissioner, Ministry of MSME, Govt. of India explained that Artisans & Craftspeople of the country plays as important role in the growth of the country. He added that PM Vishwakarma Scheme has been inaugurated to recognise the contribution of Artisans & Craftspeople in countries development. He also shared his views that the exhibition provides them a platform for showcasing their products to wider audience. He also emphasised on online selling of products by artisans & made them aware about ONDC Platform.

Subhash Chandra, Joint Director, RDSDE explained the role of skill training as one of the important benefits of PM Vishwakarma Scheme. He also mentioned that under one stall, the toolkits which are provided to artisans during training, are also displayed in the Exhibition. The Participants may visit & enquire about skilling component of the scheme.

Ramakrishna, Deputy Director, Office of DC(MSME), New Delhi encouraged the participants to visit the stalls set up by PM Vishwakarma beneficiaries.

Wazir Singh, Asst. Director, MSME DFO, Ludhiana presented vote thank to the all dignitaries and PM Vishwakarma Artisans & Craftspeople of the exhibition.

During the program Krishan Kumar, Assistant Director, Anupama Rani, Assistant Director and Anil Behl Assistant Director, MSME-DFO, Ludhiana supported for successful inauguration and organisation of PM Vishwakarm Exhibition-cum-Trade Fair.