Thiruvananthapuram: A blueprint for the Rs 500-crore Vishwakarma Village project, aimed at the comprehensive development of the Vishwakarma community in Kerala, has been submitted to BJP State President Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
The Vishwakarma Village, which will include training centres, learning centres, and production units, aims to increase India’s handicraft exports tenfold and improve the living standards of Vishwakarma artisans, said Rariram Info Media Private Limited Chairman Rajan P. Thodiyoor.
From the ₹13,000-crore budget allocation by the Prime Minister for initiatives such as PM Vikas, PM Kaushal Samman, and Vishwakarma Village—implemented to protect and expand employment opportunities for India’s 200-million-strong artisan community—land has been earmarked for the Vishwakarma Village project in Kerala.
The project, planned on 20 acres, seeks the holistic advancement of the artisan community in the state, he stated at a meeting of Vishwakarma organizations and startups held at the Kollam Fine Arts Society Hall.
Commenting on the project, Kerala Artisans Development Corporation Chairman and PM Vikas scheme nodal agent Neduvathoor Sundaresan said that unemployment among Vishwakarma artisans could be eliminated, and new opportunities created for the younger generation, if the artisan community works together.
