Delhi: Ministry of Textiles has approved the continuation of the Comprehensive Handicrafts Cluster Development Scheme ( CHCDS) with a total outlay of Rs160 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.
The scheme aims to create a world-class infrastructure that caters to the business needs of the local artisans & Small & Medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to boost production and export. In brief, the main objective of setting up these clusters is to assist the artisans & 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 CHCDS, 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 Centres, Emporiums, Raw Material Banks, Trade Facilitation Centres, Common Production Centres, Design and Resource Centres will also be granted.
The integrated projects will be taken up for development through artisan having good experience in handicrafts sector. The focus will be on the integration of scattered artisans, building their grass root level enterprises, and linking them to SMEs to ensure economies of scale. The mega handicraft clusters having more than 10,000 artisans will be selected for overall development under this scheme.
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