PM Vishwakarma Scheme: Skill Development and Support for Women Artisans

Women-led enterprises are becoming a powerful force in India’s economy, contributing to innovation, employment, and inclusive growth. According to the Udyam Registration Portal (URP) and Udyam Assist Platform, there are now 3,07,42,621 women-led enterprises registered as of 28th February 2026. 

Credit Support for Women Entrepreneurs

To support the growth of Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs), the Government implements the Credit Guarantee Scheme (CGS), which provides credit guarantees for loans extended by Member Lending Institutions (MLIs) under the Credit Guarantee Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE), without requiring collateral or third-party guarantees. 

Notably, for women-led MSEs, the scheme offers enhanced credit coverage of 90% (compared to 75% generally) along with a 10% reduction in the guarantee fee, further easing access to finance for women entrepreneurs.

Capacity-Building Initiatives

Under the PM Vishwakarma Scheme, the Government provides comprehensive capacity-building support to artisans and craftspeople. This includes Basic Skill Training (5–7 days) and Advanced Training (15 days or more) with stipend support. Training modules cover entrepreneurial orientation, financial literacy, digital literacy, and guidance on modern tools and equipment relevant to specific trades. 

The scheme also provides marketing assistance, such as onboarding on e-commerce platforms, branding, and product promotion, strengthening the capabilities of beneficiaries and increasing their participation in micro-enterprise activities.

Additionally, the Scheme for Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) focuses on cluster-based interventions that provide both capacity-building and digital marketing training. These interventions include soft skills such as awareness, counselling, motivation, and trust-building, alongside skill development across the value chain, with emphasis on digitised training modules. 

Initiatives to Promote Women Entrepreneurship

Artisans are trained in machine handling and maintenance, supported in institutional development, and given opportunities for design innovation, exposure visits, seminars, workshops, and technology upgrades. Furthermore, SFURTI facilitates onboarding artisans onto e-commerce and digital marketing platforms through designated Nodal Agencies.

To further enhance the participation of women in manufacturing and service-oriented micro-enterprises, the Government has taken several targeted measures:

• Special registration drives to encourage women-owned MSMEs.
• Public Procurement Policy mandates that at least 3% of annual procurement by CPSEs/Ministries/Departments comes from women entrepreneurs.
• Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) provides credit-linked subsidies to establish micro-enterprises in the non-farm sector, particularly assisting traditional artisans and unemployed rural/urban youth. Women beneficiaries represent approximately 40% of PMEGP participants and receive a higher subsidy of 35%, compared to up to 25% for other beneficiaries.
• ‘Skill Upgradation and Mahila Coir Yojana’ under the Coir Vikas Yojana offers targeted training for women artisans in the coir sector.
• Participation of women entrepreneurs in trade fairs under the Procurement and Marketing Support Scheme is fully subsidised (100%), compared to 80% for other entrepreneurs.
• PM Vishwakarma Scheme continues to provide numerous benefits to traditional artisans and craftspeople, including women, across 18 trades.
• The ‘Yashasvini’ campaign raises awareness about MSME schemes for existing and aspiring women entrepreneurs, ensuring continuous handholding and capacity-building support.

Disclaimer: This blog has been written exclusively for educational purposes. The securities mentioned are only examples and not recommendations. This does not constitute a personal recommendation or investment advice. It does not aim to influence any individual or entity to make investment decisions. Recipients should conduct their own research and assessments to form an independent opinion about investment decisions.