Lok Sabha Question No. 353 (STARRED), answered on 2025-08-18
Subject: Commercial viability of Traditional Crafts
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Smt. Bharti Pardhi, Shri Shrirang Appa Chandu Barne

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 353

ANSWERED ON 18.08.2025

## COMMERCIAL VIABILITY OF TRADITIONAL CRAFTS

†*353. SMT. BHARTI PARDHI: SHRI SHRIRANG APPACHANDU BARNE:

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a) the  manner  in  which  the  Government  is  working  with  National  Rural  Livelihoods Mission  (NRLM)  to  provide  specialized  training  and  capacity  building  to  Selp-Help Group (SHG) members to enhance the commercial viability of traditional crafts;
- (b) the details of the awareness campaigns or outreach programmes being conducted by the Government  to  sensitize  rural  communities  about  the  importance  of  preserving  their cultural heritage and the livelihood opportunities therefrom;
- (c) whether the  Government has any plans to integrate  cultural  literacy  and  appreciation into the Community Resource Person (CRP) training modules under NRLM to identify and nurture cultural talents at the grassroots level;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the details of the mechanisms put in place to monitor the impact of cultural promotion initiatives undertaken by NRLM-affiliated SHGs and the manner in which these impacts documented and reported by the Government?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

(a) to (e) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS(a) to (e) IN RESPECT OF LOK  SABHA  STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  353  FOR  REPLY  ON  18.08.2025 REGARDING COMMERCIAL VIABILITY OF TRADITIONAL CRAFTS ASKED BY SMT. BHARTI PARDHI AND SHRI SHRIRANG APPA CHANDU BARNE

(a) Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) launched in June 2011 by Ministry of Rural Development, is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of  Government  of  India  aims  at  mobilizing  rural  poor  women  households  into  Self  Help Groups (SHGs) and provide them long-term support so that they diversify their livelihoods, improve their incomes and lead a better-quality life. DAY-NRLM is being implemented in 28 States and 6 UTs (except Delhi and Chandigarh). As of 30 th June,  2025,  the Mission  is being implemented in 7145 blocks in 745 districts across 28 States and 6 UTs. Cumulatively, 10.05 crore rural households have been organised into more than 90.90 lakh SHGs.

Under  the  DAY-NRLM,  non-farm  livelihoods  offer  diverse  avenues  for  rural communities, fostering economic resilience beyond agriculture and allied activities. Through micro enterprises like handicrafts, handloom, food processing, small-scale manufacturing and services,  NRLM  empowers  individuals  to  create  sustainable  income  streams.  Non-Farm Livelihoods  are  primarily  implemented  through  the  various  components  of  the  SVEP umbrella projects which has following components - Micro Enterprise Development (MED), Start-up  Village  Entrepreneurship  Programme  (SVEP),  One  Stop  Facility  (OSF),  Clusters etc.

The  Deendayal  Antyodaya  Yojana  -  National  Rural  Livelihoods  Mission  (DAYNRLM)  emphasizes  capacity building and training as core strategies to strengthen community institutions, enhance livelihoods and ensure sustainable rural development. The training  strategy  under  DAY-NRLM  is  structured,  need-based  and  inclusive,  covering  all levels  of  stakeholders  from  grassroot  to  national  level.    The  training  intends  to  strengthen community  institutions,  improved  financial  literacy  and  access  to  entitlements,  enhanced entrepreneurial  skills  and  livelihood  diversification,  greater  inclusion  of  vulnerable  groups through awareness and sensitization.

The Focus of the training is to build skill, knowledge and awareness among members, Cadres,  Community  Resource  Persons  (CRPs)  and  empower  the  community  institutionsSHGs,  Village  Organizations  (VOs),  Cluster  Level  Federations  (CLFs),  Producer  Groups, Producer Enterprises/Food Producer Organisations through structured training modules using pedagogy for adult learning.

Training is conducted at multiple levels - National, State, District, Block and Village - for different target groups. Modules are tailored to the needs of SHG members, Community Cadres,  PRI  members  and  SRLM  staff  on  various  thematics  Institution  Building  (IB), Financial Inclusion (FI), Livelihoods (farm and non-farm), Social  Development  and Inclusion, Enterprise development and Value Chains etc.

The Ministry of Rural Development has undertaken tie-ups with e-commerce Players for  promotion  of  SHG  products.  Also,  Memoranda  of  Understanding  (MoUs)  have  been entered between the Ministry and Flipkart Internet Pvt. Ltd., Amazon, Fashnear Technologies  Pvt.  Ltd.  (Meesho)  and  Jiomart  respectively  to  allow  the  Self  Help  Groups (SHGs) producers including the artisans, weavers and craftsmen to access national markets through the Flipkart Samarth programme, Amazon Saheli initiative, Meesho and Jiomart for marketing of SHGs products. An e-Commerce platform (www.esaras.in) is operational for online marketing of SHG products. e-SARAS is also live as a Seller Network Participant on ONDC. Curated products of women SHGs are available on the Apps of ONDC network.

Further, SARAS Aajeevika Mela is organized under DAY-NRLM scheme every year, at  National  and  State  level  for  marketing  of  SHG  products  including  traditional  crafts prepared by SHG members to support traditional products and items. In addition, the States of  Assam,  Maharashtra,  Bihar,  Kerala  and  Madhya  Pradesh  have  developed  websites/  ecommerce platforms to  support SHGs. Cluster components under DAY-NRLM to support Artisans  and  Sectoral  clusters  through  a  value  chain  approach.  All  these  efforts  support traditional activities and crafts culture. The key cluster activities are summarised below:

- i. Uttar Pradesh - There are two clusters which are being supported - Zari Zardosi and Tharu cluster. These crafts are supporting the local culture to gain market attention.
- ii. Chhattisgarh  -  In  Dhamtari  of  Chhattisgarh,  a  handloom  weaving  cluster, especially cotton and kosa silk products, is supported which is valued for ecofriendly production and organic appeal in sustainable fashion markets.
- iii. Madhya  Pradesh  -  There  are  two  clusters  which  is  supported  -  Handloom cluster in Dindori which is known for natural dye weaving and tribal patterns that appeal to eco-conscious buyers and Jacket Making in Shivpuri in which the traditional hand-stitched jackets with tribal designs are gaining a niche in ethnic and fusion wear.
- iv. Odisha - The handloom cluster in Sambalpur and Applique cluster in Puri is supported  which  supports  the  unique  tie-dye  in  Ikat  sarees  and  developing vibrant decorative textiles.
- v. Gujarat - Tribal pottery cluster is supported in Dahod, which is sought after in both urban homes and export markets.
- vi. Maharashtra - Kolhapuri chappals cluster is supported in Kolhapur.
- vii. Jharkhand  -  In  Godda&Sahibganj,  Handloom  cluster  supporting  tussar  silk weaving which has a strong presence in premium textile exports.
- viii.   Karnataka  -  Jute  products  are  supported  in  Bagalkot  and  wooden  toys  (GI tagged) cluster is being supported in Ramnagara.
- ix. Rajasthan  -  Leather  Cluster  is  being  supported  which  is  famous  for  camel leather  products,  footwear  and  accessories  with  intricate  embossing  and  is  in demand across fashion and decor markets.
- x. Himachal Pradesh - In Kullu, Simla-Solan, Handloom cluster is supported for promoting Kullu shawls and stoles, known  for  vibrant  geometric  designs  and also have high tourist and export value.
11. (b) To protect, promote and preserve various forms of folkart and culture throughout the country  the  Government  of  India  has  set  up  seven  Zonal  Cultural  Centres  (ZCCs)  with headquarters at Patiala, Nagpur, Udaipur, Prayagraj, Kolkata, Dimapurand Thanjavur. These ZCCs organize various cultural activities and programmes on regular basis in their member States.

To  sensitize  rural  communities  about  the  importance  of  preserving  their  cultural heritage  and  the  livelihood  opportunities,  all  the  ZCCs  also  conduct  various  outreach programmes  in  far-flung  areaswhich  includes  Bol  Bum,  Birha  Utsav,  Janjatiya  Utsav, Seemanchal  Yatra,  Dharohar-Chain  Programme,  Tribal  Dance  Festivals,  Lok  Kala  Yatra, Traditional Fair, Lok Nrutya Bharat Bharti, Guru Shishya Parampara, Workshop for making dancing  doll,  Sunlight  Art,  Bharat  Ko  Jano,  Border  Area  Cultural  Exchange  Programme, Folk Dance Workshops etc.

Ministry of Culture also organizes Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsavs (RSMs) at national level through these ZCCs where a large number of artisans from all over India are engaged who display their handmade products for sale to earn their livelihood. From November, 2015

onwards,  fourteen  (14)  RSMs  and  four  (04)  Zonal  Level  RSMs  have  been  organized  by Ministry  of  Culture,  in  which  1618  artisans  participated.  Besides,  on  the  request  of Government  of  Uttar  Pradesh,  Ministry  of  Culture  had  set  up  a  cultural  village  viz. Kalagramduring  Maha  Kumbh-2025,  98  artisans  sold  traditional  Indian  handicrafts  and handlooms for an amount of Rs. 48.26 lakh in the courtyards for a period of 45 days.

(c) & (d) No such plan is under consideration of the Government.

(e) Presently,  under  DAY-NRLM,  there  is  no  established  mechanism  to  monitor  the impact of cultural promotion initiatives undertaken by NRLM-affiliated SHGs. However, the Ministry  has  developed  the  following  monitoring  mechanisms  to  track  and  evaluate  the overall implementation of DAY-NRLM activities:

- Monitoring through MIS data: DAY-NRLM has a centralized MIS in which data entry  has  been  enabled  right  from  the  block  level.  The  MIS  data  is  used  for monitoring progress at various levels of program implementation.
- Reviews with  the  SRLMs:  Performance is  reviewed  on  a  quarterly  basis  at  the senior level of administration of all the States. This gives an opportunity to bring out pending issues or areas that are lagging behind and act upon them.
- Performance  Review  Committee:  The  performance  of  the  programme  is  also reviewed  with  Secretary  (Rural  Development)  of  States/UTs  on  annual  basis during the Performance Review Committee Meetings of the Ministry.
- National Level Monitors, Common Review Missions and Officers of the Ministry visit  States/UTs at regular interval to review implementation of the programme. After the field visits, the findings/shortcomings and recommendations are shared with the States/UTs for appropriate action.

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