News & Announcement
PM Vishwakarma Mela Inaugurated at Central Park, Namchi
Namchi, 28 January (IPR): Three-day PM Vishwakarma Mela for Namchi District was inaugurated today at Central Park, Namchi, by the MLA Namchi–Singhithang Mr Satish Chandra Rai.
The event is being organised by the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises–Development and Facilitation Office (MSME-DFO), Gangtok, under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India, with the objective of promoting and strengthening traditional artisans and craftspeople.
Addressing the gathering, Mr Satish Chandra Rai stated that the Mela would play a pivotal role in fostering the growth of local artisans. He described the PM Vishwakarma Scheme as a highly beneficial and impactful initiative and urged the youth not to miss this opportunity.
Emphasising the importance of skill development, he encouraged young people to avail themselves of the free training provided under the scheme to enhance their skills for long-term benefits. He also appealed to shop owners at Central Park to extend support to local artisans, highlighting that collective progress would be advantageous to all.
Furthermore, he encouraged artisans and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to develop distinctive design styles to enhance their identity and boost sales.
District Collector Namchi, Ms Anupa Tamling, in her address, stated that the PM Vishwakarma Scheme has been introduced for the overall upliftment of artisans. She highlighted that although the scheme offers simplified access to benefits, many eligible artisans have yet to avail themselves of its incentives. She informed that the scheme provides free training and toolkits to artisans and urged them to make full use of these provisions to realise the scheme’s full potential.
On the occasion, officials from MSME-DFO also elaborated on the significance of the initiative for Namchi District, stating that the scheme not only preserves traditional skills but also enhances artisans’ access to modern tools and wider markets.
The PM Vishwakarma Scheme focuses on recognising traditional artisans and craftspeople as Vishwakarmas and enabling them to avail various benefits, including skill upgradation training with a stipend of ₹500 per day, toolkit assistance up to ₹15,000, collateral-free credit facilities up to ₹3 lakh, incentives for digital transactions, and marketing support through branding, quality certification and advertisement.
The Mela witnessed active participation from officials, artisans, beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Vishwakarma Scheme and members of the general public. The event aims to provide a dedicated platform for artisans to showcase their products, strengthen market linkages and enhance income-generation opportunities.
The programme also featured the sharing of success stories, highlighting the achievement of an artisan from Sikkim who secured second position on the national artisans’ leaderboard.
Approximately 50 stalls have been set up at the Mela by beneficiaries representing various traditional trades, including carpentry, tailoring, goldsmithing, pottery, cobbling, blacksmithing, barbering, masonry, basket and mat making, coir weaving, fish-net making, sculpture, and doll and toy making, among others.
It may be mentioned that the PM Vishwakarma Trade Fair will continue until 30 January 2026, with the aim of encouraging artisans and supporting them through appropriate market linkages.
Among those present at the fair were GM RBI Gangtok Mr Goda Ravishankar, AGM SBI Mr Gopal Lama, Assistant Directors MSME-DFO Gangtok Dr Rahul Kamble and Mr N Chowdhury, MEO Namchi Mr Rajiv Rai, SSACS Dr Meesho Chettri, Inspector DIC Commerce and Industries Mr Ajay Tamang, along with other officials and staff of MSME-DFO Gangtok.
The event is being organised by the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises–Development and Facilitation Office (MSME-DFO), Gangtok, under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India, with the objective of promoting and strengthening traditional artisans and craftspeople.
Addressing the gathering, Mr Satish Chandra Rai stated that the Mela would play a pivotal role in fostering the growth of local artisans. He described the PM Vishwakarma Scheme as a highly beneficial and impactful initiative and urged the youth not to miss this opportunity.
Emphasising the importance of skill development, he encouraged young people to avail themselves of the free training provided under the scheme to enhance their skills for long-term benefits. He also appealed to shop owners at Central Park to extend support to local artisans, highlighting that collective progress would be advantageous to all.
Furthermore, he encouraged artisans and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to develop distinctive design styles to enhance their identity and boost sales.
District Collector Namchi, Ms Anupa Tamling, in her address, stated that the PM Vishwakarma Scheme has been introduced for the overall upliftment of artisans. She highlighted that although the scheme offers simplified access to benefits, many eligible artisans have yet to avail themselves of its incentives. She informed that the scheme provides free training and toolkits to artisans and urged them to make full use of these provisions to realise the scheme’s full potential.
On the occasion, officials from MSME-DFO also elaborated on the significance of the initiative for Namchi District, stating that the scheme not only preserves traditional skills but also enhances artisans’ access to modern tools and wider markets.
The PM Vishwakarma Scheme focuses on recognising traditional artisans and craftspeople as Vishwakarmas and enabling them to avail various benefits, including skill upgradation training with a stipend of ₹500 per day, toolkit assistance up to ₹15,000, collateral-free credit facilities up to ₹3 lakh, incentives for digital transactions, and marketing support through branding, quality certification and advertisement.
The Mela witnessed active participation from officials, artisans, beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Vishwakarma Scheme and members of the general public. The event aims to provide a dedicated platform for artisans to showcase their products, strengthen market linkages and enhance income-generation opportunities.
The programme also featured the sharing of success stories, highlighting the achievement of an artisan from Sikkim who secured second position on the national artisans’ leaderboard.
Approximately 50 stalls have been set up at the Mela by beneficiaries representing various traditional trades, including carpentry, tailoring, goldsmithing, pottery, cobbling, blacksmithing, barbering, masonry, basket and mat making, coir weaving, fish-net making, sculpture, and doll and toy making, among others.
It may be mentioned that the PM Vishwakarma Trade Fair will continue until 30 January 2026, with the aim of encouraging artisans and supporting them through appropriate market linkages.
Among those present at the fair were GM RBI Gangtok Mr Goda Ravishankar, AGM SBI Mr Gopal Lama, Assistant Directors MSME-DFO Gangtok Dr Rahul Kamble and Mr N Chowdhury, MEO Namchi Mr Rajiv Rai, SSACS Dr Meesho Chettri, Inspector DIC Commerce and Industries Mr Ajay Tamang, along with other officials and staff of MSME-DFO Gangtok.
