Lok Sabha Question No. 4200 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-18
Subject: Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan Scheme
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri P V Midhun Reddy

## 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 marketoriented 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      |                            1440 |

|   6 | 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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