New Delhi, Aug 5 (IANS): The 'Basic Skill Training' initiative under the PM Vishwakarma Scheme has commenced to enhance and modernise the traditional skills of the artisans and crafters across 26 states/UTs.

According to the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, as of July 19, 5,17,835 candidates have been certified under the Basic Skill Training initiative.

Karnataka leads with 112,737 certified candidates, followed by Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra.

The PM Vishwakarma Scheme was launched on September 17, 2023, to support artisans and craftspeople of 18 trades who work with their hands and tools. The scheme includes recognition through the PM Vishwakarma certificate and ID card, skill upgradation, toolkit incentives, credit support, incentives for digital transactions, and marketing support.

Under the credit component of the scheme, as of July 29, loan sanctions have been granted to 56,526 applications, totalling Rs 551.80 crore. Loan disbursements have been made to 15,878 applications, totalling Rs 132.49 crore across the country.

Additionally, 905,328 applicants have opted for marketing support out of 1.438 million successfully registered eligible beneficiaries.

The objective of the scheme is to help traditional artisans and craftspeople become entrepreneurs and self-reliant, generate livelihood opportunities, enhance skills, and integrate modern tools and technology into their work. They will also be linked to domestic and global markets.

The scheme is being conjointly implemented by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), and the Department of Financial Services (DFS) under the Ministry of Finance.

For the smooth implementation of the PM Vishwakarma scheme across the country, National Steering Committee meetings are being held regularly under the co-chairmanship of the Secretaries of DFS, MSDE, MoMSME.