Gov't Schemes Target Artisans in J&K, Odisha

- The Artisan Credit Card scheme in Jammu & Kashmir provides a maximum credit limit of ₹2,00,000, with no collateral required and a 7% interest subvention for five years to support weavers and artisans. - In addition to credit, J&K is running the Karkhandar Scheme to upgrade skills and revive languishing crafts by training small batches of 5-10 trainees for six months in workshops of master artisans. - The region's handicraft industry faces significant challenges, including competition from machine-made products, exploitation by middlemen, and market disruptions due to political instability, which has led to a steep decline in artisans' incomes. - Over the past two years, 559 training centers across Jammu & Kashmir have provided skills in traditional crafts like weaving, papier-mache, and woodcraft to thousands of artisans, including over 3,900 in the Budgam district alone. - Odisha's Udyami scheme is a new initiative announced in the 2026-27 budget, designed to support 6,000 nano-entrepreneurs over the next two years with an outlay of ₹40 crore. - The Udyami scheme complements other state programs like the Mukhya Mantri Karma Tatpara Abhiyan (MUKTA), which provides wage employment opportunities to the urban poor, including migrant workers, through public works projects implemented by community organizations. - Odisha is home to approximately 130,000 artisans practicing 50 different crafts, and the state has the highest number of artisans honored with National Awards. - A significant challenge for Odisha's artisans is the shortage of raw materials; the state's 2019 Handicrafts Policy aims to address this by establishing Raw Material Banks.