PM VIKAS Scheme Focuses on Empowering Minority Communities

19 Mar 2025 CW Team

Market and Industry Outlook: With a growing emphasis on inclusive economic development, India's policies are increasingly targeting skill enhancement and entrepreneurship among marginalised communities. The PM VIKAS scheme aligns with this vision, aiming to integrate minority artisans, women entrepreneurs, and skilled workers into mainstream markets. Initiatives like Hunar Haat and Lok Samvardhan Parv have played a crucial role in showcasing traditional craftsmanship, boosting demand for indigenous products, and opening up new economic opportunities. Since 2015, 43 such events have been organised nationwide, promoting heritage-linked businesses and facilitating market linkages. As India moves towards a more self-reliant economy, such schemes contribute to employment generation, financial inclusion, and social empowerment, making minorities active participants in the nation’s economic progress.

Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs & Minority Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju, shared insights into the scheme’s progress in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha. He confirmed that the Ministry is in the process of finalising project proposals under PM VIKAS, ensuring targeted interventions for minority communities.

Aimed at enhancing employability and entrepreneurship, PM VIKAS provisions skill training, education support for school dropouts, and leadership development for minority women. Furthermore, it facilitates credit linkages, connecting beneficiaries with financial assistance schemes under NMDFC.

The Ministry’s Hunar Haat and Lok Samvardhan Parv initiatives have been instrumental in promoting traditional artisans by offering a platform to market their products. These events have successfully fostered entrepreneurship, encouraged cultural heritage preservation, and enhanced the economic prospects of minority communities.

By integrating skill development with financial empowerment, the PM VIKAS scheme strengthens economic resilience within minority groups. Its holistic approach—blending education, leadership training, and business opportunities—ensures sustainable growth and social mobility for beneficiaries. As India continues to drive inclusive development, such initiatives play a pivotal role in fostering an equitable economic landscape.

The Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) scheme, a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Minority Affairs, aims to uplift six notified minority communities through skill development, entrepreneurship, and education support. By converging five previous schemes—‘Seekho Aur Kamao’, ‘Nai Manzil’, ‘Nai Roshni’, ‘Hamari Dharohar’, and ‘USTTAD’—the programme fosters economic inclusion while facilitating credit access for beneficiaries through the National Minorities Development & Finance Corporation (NMDFC). Market and Industry Outlook: With a growing emphasis on inclusive economic development, India's policies are increasingly targeting skill enhancement and entrepreneurship among marginalised communities. The PM VIKAS scheme aligns with this vision, aiming to integrate minority artisans, women entrepreneurs, and skilled workers into mainstream markets. Initiatives like Hunar Haat and Lok Samvardhan Parv have played a crucial role in showcasing traditional craftsmanship, boosting demand for indigenous products, and opening up new economic opportunities. Since 2015, 43 such events have been organised nationwide, promoting heritage-linked businesses and facilitating market linkages. As India moves towards a more self-reliant economy, such schemes contribute to employment generation, financial inclusion, and social empowerment, making minorities active participants in the nation’s economic progress. Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs & Minority Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju, shared insights into the scheme’s progress in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha. He confirmed that the Ministry is in the process of finalising project proposals under PM VIKAS, ensuring targeted interventions for minority communities. Aimed at enhancing employability and entrepreneurship, PM VIKAS provisions skill training, education support for school dropouts, and leadership development for minority women. Furthermore, it facilitates credit linkages, connecting beneficiaries with financial assistance schemes under NMDFC. The Ministry’s Hunar Haat and Lok Samvardhan Parv initiatives have been instrumental in promoting traditional artisans by offering a platform to market their products. These events have successfully fostered entrepreneurship, encouraged cultural heritage preservation, and enhanced the economic prospects of minority communities. By integrating skill development with financial empowerment, the PM VIKAS scheme strengthens economic resilience within minority groups. Its holistic approach—blending education, leadership training, and business opportunities—ensures sustainable growth and social mobility for beneficiaries. As India continues to drive inclusive development, such initiatives play a pivotal role in fostering an equitable economic landscape.

Equipment

12 Dec 2025

Schwing Stetter India Unveils New Innovations at Excon 2025

Schwing Stetter India unveiled more than 20 new machines at Excon 2025, marking one of its most significant showcases and introducing several India-first technologies to the construction equipment sector. The company launched the country’s first 56-metre boom pump designed and manufactured in India, the first fully electric truck mixer, the first CNG mixer variant and the first hybrid boom pump. Executives said the launch portfolio was engineered to support India’s move toward faster, greener and more vertically oriented infrastructure through advanced engineering, clean-energy solutions a..

Infrastructure Energy

12 Dec 2025

SEPC Resolves Hindustan Copper Dispute, Wins Rs 725 Mn Order

Engineering, procurement and construction firm SEPC Ltd has recently settled a dispute with Hindustan Copper Ltd (HCL) and secured a mining infrastructure order valued at Rs 725 million from the state-owned company. SEPC informed the stock exchanges that it has executed a settlement deed with HCL, bringing closure to all inter-se claims and counterclaims arising from arbitration proceedings. As part of the settlement, SEPC will receive Rs 304.5 million as full and final payment, marking the resolution of all pending disputes between the two entities. The company also stated that Hindustan Co..

Infrastructure Energy

12 Dec 2025

20% Ethanol Blending Cuts India’s CO2 Emissions by 73.6 Mn Tonnes

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari recently said that India has reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 73.6 million metric tonnes due to the adoption of 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol. He made the statement while replying to supplementary questions during the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha. Describing ethanol as a green fuel, the minister said it plays a key role in reducing pollution while also supporting higher incomes for farmers. He underlined that ethanol blending contributes both to environmental sustainability and rural economic growth. Nitin Gadkari also po..