PM VIKAS Scheme Empowers Minorities Through Skills, Enterprise & Education
K N Mishra
24/Jul/2025

What’s Covered Under the Article:
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PM VIKAS unifies five schemes, focusing on skills, enterprise, and education for minorities, including women leadership and school dropout support.
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Initiatives like Hunar Haat and Lok Samvardhan Parv provide artisans platforms for showcasing crafts and boosting cultural-economic visibility.
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NMDFC under MoMA extends financial assistance to promote entrepreneurship and self-employment in minority communities.
In a strategic step towards inclusive development and socio-economic empowerment, the Ministry of Minority Affairs (MoMA) has launched the Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) scheme, designed to uplift minority communities across India. This flagship initiative, launched in 2025, seeks to address multiple barriers faced by minority populations through skill development, entrepreneurship promotion, women’s leadership training, and educational support for school dropouts.
An Integrated Empowerment Framework
PM VIKAS consolidates five pre-existing schemes into a single holistic framework, including notable programs like:
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Seekho aur Kamao (Learn & Earn): Initially launched in 2013-14, this scheme trained approximately 4.68 lakh minority youth (aged 14–45 years), helping them acquire market-relevant skills for employment or self-employment.
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Nai Roshni: Aimed at empowering minority women, this initiative was introduced in 2012-13 to build leadership qualities and encourage active participation in government and financial institutions.
By unifying these legacy programs, PM VIKAS creates a streamlined, focused, and scalable model of development that directly addresses the socio-economic challenges of marginalized communities.
Core Pillars of PM VIKAS
The scheme functions across four main pillars:
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Skill Development: Offers structured training in trades aligned with market demand, enabling youth to secure jobs or pursue entrepreneurial ventures.
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Entrepreneurship Support: Promotes enterprise by extending mentorship, business training, and access to capital.
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Leadership Training for Minority Women: Focuses on building self-confidence, financial literacy, and awareness of rights among minority women to increase their participation in leadership roles.
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Education for School Dropouts: Provides educational reintegration for out-of-school youth, especially from backward and underprivileged communities, ensuring they gain formal education or vocational certification.
Showcasing Artistry: Hunar Haat & Lok Samvardhan Parv
To further support the cultural and economic integration of minority communities, the Ministry organises 'Hunar Haat' under the USTTAD scheme, and 'Lok Samvardhan Parv' under PM VIKAS. These platforms serve to:
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Exhibit indigenous crafts, cuisines, and cultural products.
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Connect artisans directly with national and international markets.
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Raise awareness about government welfare schemes among artisans and buyers.
To date, the government has organized:
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41 Hunar Haat events, with large footfalls in metros and cultural centers.
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4 Lok Samvardhan Parv events, focusing on community engagement, heritage promotion, and direct market linkages.
These events have proved instrumental in providing livelihood opportunities, improving market access, and reviving traditional crafts on the verge of extinction.
Support Through Finance and Infrastructure
Recognizing the need for financial backing to translate skills into enterprises, the Ministry, through the National Minority Development Finance Corporation (NMDFC), extends:
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Enterprise development loans tailored for artisans, entrepreneurs, and small business owners.
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Financial assistance programs that are low-interest, collateral-light, and community-specific.
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Support for women-led microenterprises, especially those operating in traditional sectors such as embroidery, food processing, and handicrafts.
This financial ecosystem promotes self-reliance and entrepreneurial spirit, especially in rural and semi-urban minority-dominated areas.
Digital Enablement and Promotional Upgrades
To make these welfare schemes future-ready and maximize reach, the Ministry has implemented:
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Digital sales enablement tools for artisans to transition into online selling platforms.
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Infrastructure improvements at exhibition venues, including better lighting, signage, and security.
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Promotional campaigns targeting urban consumers and international buyers, ensuring broader exposure and higher earnings.
Based on feedback from stakeholders, the Ministry continues to evolve event formats and training content to align with current market trends and preferences.
Policy Continuity and Leadership Insight
Providing details in a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of Minority Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs, Mr. Kiren Rijiju, highlighted the strategic importance of PM VIKAS in bridging the socio-economic gap for India’s six notified minority communities — Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and Parsis.
According to the Minister, the scheme’s success lies in its people-centric design, on-ground adaptability, and the active collaboration with NGOs, skilling partners, and financial institutions. The Ministry has also set up monitoring systems to track progress, improve transparency, and ensure last-mile delivery.
Impact and Future Outlook
The anticipated impact of the PM VIKAS scheme is both immediate and long-term:
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Skill penetration in remote minority-concentrated areas.
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Economic upliftment through enterprise creation and enhanced job placements.
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Social inclusion via leadership roles for women and education access for youth.
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Preservation of cultural identity through crafts, traditions, and public showcasing.
Going forward, the Ministry plans to:
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Expand PM VIKAS to cover digital skills, green trades, and emerging technologies.
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Enhance partnerships with private industry and CSR wings for apprenticeship and incubation.
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Promote regional branding of artisan products to strengthen India's cultural export economy.
Conclusion
The Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) scheme stands as a comprehensive model of empowerment that addresses the economic, educational, and cultural dimensions of minority welfare. By consolidating previous efforts, offering financial and educational tools, and celebrating India’s rich diversity, the scheme marks a new chapter in inclusive governance.
With continued policy support, regular impact assessments, and responsive design, PM VIKAS could become a blueprint for minority welfare not just in India, but for other pluralistic democracies seeking to harness the potential of their marginalized communities.
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