KOHIMA: As the Prime Minister’s Vishwakarma Yojana takes flight, Union Minister Sanjeev Kumar Balyan said that it’s a boon for traditional craftsmen and artisans in Nagaland as now they will be able to showcase their products globally.
Speaking at the scheme’s launch event in Kohima on Sunday, the Minister of State for Animal Husbandry, Dairying, and Fisheries said that now Nagaland’s skilled craftsmen will be able to present their products to the global audience for a mere Re1 per digital transaction.
“The PM Vishwakarma Scheme is a catalyst for skill development and entrepreneurship, fostering innovation, and nurturing creativity. It ultimately guarantees improved livelihoods for our citizens, offering a comprehensive array of benefits,” he told the press, adding that this will not only expand their market reach but also significantly boosts their income.
Moataoshi Longkumer, Advisor for Labour, Employment, and Skill Development in Nagaland, highlighted the pivotal role skilled artisans and craftspeople play in the Indian economy.
While the state possesses substantial potential for micro-entrepreneurship ventures that can address unemployment, the reliance on government jobs has traditionally been the primary source of sustainable livelihoods. However, the saturation of government jobs, coupled with the absence of organised private sectors in Nagaland has hindered the employment prospects of the youth.
“But Nagaland’s rich reservoir of traditional skills – spanning a spectrum of crafts from artisanal pottery to handloom weaving, woodworking to traditional agriculture – holds immense untapped potential for economic growth and empowerment,” he said in his address at the event.
Encouraging all to embrace Naga traditional heritage as a catalyst for economic growth and empowerment, Longkumer highlighted how the PM Vishwakarma Scheme is “tailor-made for Nagaland”. “It seamlessly aligns with the state’s social and customary practices, offering the potential to transform the economic landscape of the region,” he added.
