Ministry of Textiles approves continuation of Comprehensive Handicrafts Cluster Development Scheme

Ministry of Textiles on Tuesday, October 5, 2021, approved the continuation of the Comprehensive Handicrafts Cluster Development Scheme (CHCDS) with a total outlay of Rs 160 crore. The scheme will continue up to March 2026.

Infrastructural support, market access, design and technology up-gradation support etc will be provided to handicrafts artisans under this scheme.

Comprehensive Handicrafts Cluster Development Scheme aims to create a world-class infrastructure that caters to the business needs of the local artisans and small and medium-sized enterprises to boost production and export.

The main objective of setting up these clusters is to assist the artisans and entrepreneurs to set up world-class units with modern infrastructure, the latest technology, and adequate training and human resource development inputs, coupled with market linkages and production diversification.

Under the Comprehensive Handicrafts Cluster Development Scheme, soft interventions like Baseline Survey and Activity Mapping, Skill Training, Improved Tool Kits, Marketing events, Seminars, Publicity, Design workshops, Capacity Building, etc will be provided.

Hard interventions like Common Facility Centers, Emporiums, Raw Material Banks, Trade Facilitation Centers, Common Production Centers, Design and Resource Centers will also be granted.

The integrated projects will be taken up for development through Central or State Handicrafts Corporations, Autonomous Body-Council-Institute, Registered Co-operatives, Producer company of artisans, registered special purpose vehicle having good experience in handicrafts sector as per requirement and as per the Detailed Project Report prepared for the purpose.

The focus will be on the integration of scattered artisans, building their grass root level enterprises and linking them to small and medium-sized enterprises in the handicrafts sector to ensure economies of scale. The mega handicraft clusters having more than 10 thousand artisans will be selected for overall development under this scheme.