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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4200
ANSWERED ON 18.03.2026
PRADHAN MANTRI VIRASAT KA SAMVARDHAN SCHEME
4200. SHRI P V MIDHUN REDDY:
Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) the salient features of the Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) scheme;
(b) the number of beneficiaries under the PM VIKAS scheme, State-wise; and
(c) the steps taken by the Government to provide skill development, market access and financial
support to traditional artisans under the said scheme?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS
(SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)
(a): The Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) scheme is a Central Sector Scheme
of the Ministry of Minority Affairs aimed at socio-economic empowerment of minority
communities through skill development; leadership & entrepreneurship development among
minority women, and education support for school dropouts. The scheme integrates five earlier
schemes of the Ministry, namely Seekho aur Kamao, USTTAD, Hamari Dharohar, Nai Roshni and
Nai Manzil.
The key features of the PM VIKAS scheme include:
i. Skill development and livelihood support for minority youth and artisans through market-
oriented training.
ii. Preservation and promotion of traditional arts and crafts, including safeguarding of
cultural heritage and intangible cultural heritage (ICH).
iii. Entrepreneurship and leadership development, particularly among minority women.
iv. Education support through bridge programmes and open schooling for school dropouts.
v. Convergence with other Government schemes and institutions to enhance employment
opportunities and credit access.
(b): Under the PM VIKAS scheme, beneficiaries are trained through empanelled Project
Implementing Agencies across States and Union Territories. The State/UT-wise number of
beneficiaries enrolled under the scheme as on 16.03.2026 is as follows:
Sl No. State/ UT No. of beneficiaries enrolled
1 Punjab 4828
2 Uttar Pradesh 3533
3 Assam 2451
4 Jammu & Kashmir 1620
5 Jharkhand 14406 Madhya Pradesh 1372
7 Uttarakhand 1440
8 Delhi 1316
9 Karnataka 442
10 Bihar 360
11 Haryana 283
12 Tripura 264
13 Rajasthan 204
14 Andhra Pradesh 180
15 Meghalaya 209
16 Telangana 150
17 Maharashtra 147
18 Kerala 117
19 Nagaland 113
20 Tamil Nadu 60
(c): The Government has undertaken several measures under PM VIKAS to promote skill
development, market access and financial support for traditional artisans, including:
i. NSQF-aligned training programmes for artisans engaged in traditional arts and crafts to
upgrade their skills.
ii. Customized workshops covering product development, packaging, design improvement,
financial literacy, e-commerce onboarding and export management.
iii. Support for preservation and promotion of traditional crafts and cultural heritage,
including documentation and propagation of traditional art forms.
iv. Market linkages and exposure opportunities through events, exhibitions and participation
in fairs.
v. Facilitating credit and financial linkages through institutions such as National Minorities
Development & Finance Corporation (NMDFC), banks and other financial institutions for
enterprise development.
vi. Encouraging formation of self-help groups, artisan producer organizations and enterprises
to enhance livelihood opportunities.
These initiatives aim to strengthen the livelihoods of traditional artisans while preserving the
cultural heritage of minority communities.
Further, under the PM VIKAS scheme, Ministry has been organising 'Lok Samvardhan Parv',
bringing together minority artisans from across India and assist them to scale up their operations
and businesses. So far, the Ministry has organised 05 Lok Samvardhan Parvs, in Delhi, Jammu &
Kashmir and Kerala.
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