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PM Vishwakarma Yojana gives self-employed artisans in 18 traditional trades a certificate and ID card, paid skill training with 500 rupees a day, a 15,000 rupee toolkit grant, and collateral-free loans of 1 lakh and then 2 lakh at a 5% concessional rate. It is a central scheme of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, and enrolment is only through Common Service Centres with Aadhaar biometric checks.
The scheme reached its registration target of 30 lakh artisans, so new enrolment may be limited; ask your CSC before you go with papers. The step-by-step enrolment is on our Vishwakarma registration guide.
At a glance
Run by
Ministry of MSME, with the skill development and finance ministriesWho
Artisans aged 18+ working by hand in one of 18 listed tradesToolkit
15,000 rupees grant, onceTraining stipend
500 rupees a day during basic and advanced trainingLoan
1 lakh (18 months) then 2 lakh (30 months), no collateral, 5% interestWhere to enrol
Common Service Centre, with Aadhaar biometricsHelpline
18002677777, pm-vishwakarma@dcmsme.gov.in
PM Vishwakarma Yojana benefits, one by one
| Benefit | What it is |
|---|---|
| Recognition | PM Vishwakarma certificate and ID card |
| Skill check and basic training | 5 to 7 days (40 hours), 500 rupees a day stipend |
| Advanced training | Optional 15 days (120 hours), same daily stipend |
| Toolkit incentive | 15,000 rupees, given as an e-voucher for modern tools |
| Credit | Enterprise development loan without collateral, in two tranches |
| Digital push | 1 rupee per digital transaction, up to 100 transactions a month |
| Marketing | Quality marks, branding, online selling links and trade fairs |
The 18 trades covered
- Wood: carpenter (suthar), boat maker
- Iron, metal and stone: armourer, blacksmith (lohar), hammer and toolkit maker, locksmith, sculptor or stone carver and stone breaker
- Gold and silver: goldsmith (sunar)
- Clay: potter (kumhaar)
- Leather: cobbler (charmakar), shoesmith or footwear artisan
- Building: mason (raajmistri)
- Others: basket, mat or broom maker and coir weaver, traditional doll and toy maker, barber (naai), garland maker (malakaar), washerman (dhobi), tailor (darzi), fishing net maker
If your work is not on this list, you cannot enrol, even if it is a traditional craft. Tailors looking for a sewing machine should also read our page on the free silai machine claims.
Who qualifies and who does not
Your age on the registration day must be 18 or more, work with your hands and tools in one of the 18 trades, and be self-employed in the unorganised sector. You must be doing that work at the time you register.
Only one person per family can enrol; family here means husband, wife and unmarried children. Anyone in government service, and their family, is out. So is anyone who took a loan in the last five years under a similar central or state self-employment scheme such as PMEGP, PM SVANidhi or Mudra. A person who has fully repaid a Mudra or SVANidhi loan is treated differently in the guidelines, so ask at the CSC if this applies to you.
PM Vishwakarma Yojana loan details
The first tranche is up to 1 lakh rupees, repaid over 18 months. Once it is repaid on time and the artisan has adopted digital payments or taken advanced training, a second tranche of up to 2 lakh, repaid over 30 months, can follow. No collateral is asked for. The borrower pays 5% interest; the ministry pays the bank the rest of the interest, up to 8%, and the Union government covers the credit guarantee fee.
A potter who borrows the full 1 lakh for 18 months pays interest at 5% on the falling balance. Roughly, that works out to about 4,000 rupees in total interest across the term if each EMI is cleared by its due date. Ask the bank for the exact repayment schedule.
How the application is checked
Enrolment at the CSC is followed by three checks. First the gram panchayat head, or the urban local body officer in towns, confirms that you really work in the trade. Next the District Implementation Committee, chaired by the District Collector, vets and recommends. Last a Screening Committee gives the final approval. Only after this do the certificate, training and toolkit move forward.
The official dashboard shows about 24 lakh artisans trained and over 18 lakh toolkits given so far, so the line from enrolment to benefit is long. Patience helps; repeat visits to agents do not.
State schemes with a similar name
Several states run their own artisan programmes that people call the Vishwakarma yojana. Uttar Pradesh has the Vishwakarma Shram Samman Yojana, explained on our Shram Samman page. Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have run state-level support for artisans too. A CM Vishwakarma yojana is a state scheme with its own rules and portal, distinct from the Union scheme, so do not mix the two forms.
Small vendors may find PM SVANidhi a closer fit, and food processors can look at PMFME.
Frequently asked questions
What is the PM Vishwakarma scheme in short?
A central scheme for traditional artisans that combines recognition, paid training, a toolkit grant, cheap collateral-free loans and help with digital payments and marketing.
How much is the toolkit grant?
15,000 rupees, given once, as an e-voucher to buy tools of your trade.
Can I apply online from home?
No. Applications are accepted only at Common Service Centres, because biometric Aadhaar authentication is needed.
Is the pradhan mantri vishwakarma yojana loan free (some spell it pradhanmantri vishwakarma yojana)?
No. It is a loan that must be repaid, at 5% interest. Only the toolkit grant and training stipend are given without repayment.
Can a woman tailor enrol?
Yes. Tailor (darzi) is one of the 18 trades, and women artisans can enrol on the same terms.
Whom do I call for help?
The scheme helpline is 18002677777 and the email is pm-vishwakarma@dcmsme.gov.in.
Official sources
- PM Vishwakarma official portalpmvishwakarma.gov.in
- PIB: Salient features and guidelines of PM Vishwakarmawww.pib.gov.in
Rules, amounts and portals can change. Check the official source before you apply or deposit.