---
title: "PM Vishwakarma Scheme: Artisan Support | Model Diplomat"
description: "PM Vishwakarma Scheme is a 2023 initiative by India to support traditional artisans with skill training, credit, and toolkit grants for economic empowerment."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/pm-vishwakarma-scheme"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- PM Vishwakarma is a 2023 central sector scheme of the Government of India providing skill training, credit, toolkit grants and market support to traditional artisans and craftspeople.
- How does PM Vishwakarma differ from the PM SVANidhi scheme?
- What credit support does the scheme offer and at what interest rate?
- Who funds PM Vishwakarma and which ministries administer it?
- Why is the scheme relevant for UPSC General Studies Paper II?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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## Positions at a glance

### Supporters

The PM Vishwakarma scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 17 September 2023, coinciding with Vishwakarma Jayanti and the Prime Minister's birthday, after being announced in the Union Budget 2023-24 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. It is a Central Sector Scheme, meaning it is funded entirely by the Union government rather than shared with states, with an initial outlay of ₹13,000 crore for the period FY 2023-24 to FY 2027-28. The scheme is administered jointly by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and the Department of Financial Services. Its constitutional and policy rationale rests on the directive of supporting traditional livelihoods and the informal sector, addressing the Vishwakarma communities—families historically engaged in craft and artisanal work using their hands and basic tools—who have remained outside the formal credit and skilling architecture.

### Opponents

Controversies and edge cases have accompanied implementation. Critics noted that the scheme restricts a second beneficiary from the same family and excludes those who have availed certain similar government credit-linked schemes such as PMEGP, Mudra or PM SVANidhi in the preceding five years, raising concerns about overlapping eligibility. Some artisan organisations argued that the eighteen-trade list omits significant occupations and that the credit ceiling is modest relative to actual capital needs. The 5 percent interest stipulation and the cap on the toolkit voucher have prompted debate on adequacy. Data verification at the panchayat level introduced delays and reports of uneven approval rates across districts, and questions persisted about whether digital onboarding and GeM linkage translated into sustained market access.

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Example

On 17 September 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the PM Vishwakarma scheme in New Delhi, covering 18 artisan trades with a ₹13,000 crore outlay over five years.

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