PASIGHAT, 14 Sep: The Union Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), through the branch MSME development and facilitation office (DFO), Itanagar, organised an awareness programme on marketing, AI and export opportunities under the PM Vishwakarma scheme at IGJGHSS here in East Siang district on Monday.
The programme was organised in association with the District Industries Centre (DIC) and the APM&SIDA.
It aimed to strengthen the entrepreneurial and marketing capabilities of artisans and PM Vishwakarma beneficiaries by providing awareness on entrepreneurship, branding, packaging, digital onboarding, financial and credit support, market linkages, artificial intelligence (AI) tools and export opportunities.
Branch MSME-DFO Assistant Director Sourav Kumar briefed the participants on PM Vishwakarma and various initiatives and schemes of the Ministry of MSME supporting artisans and entrepreneurs. He highlighted opportunities related to upskilling, entrepreneurship, technology and innovation, branding, market access, trade fairs and exhibitions, credit support and subsidies.
The participants were also sensitised to formalisation through Udyam registration and other relevant MSME initiatives.
LDM Bingu Ram Chandra Reddy conducted a session on financial literacy and financial inclusion, covering formal banking services, credit facilities,and the loan application and disbursement process.
The speakers also emphasised the importance of social security schemes, and presented a brief on various social security schemes like PMSBY, PMJBY, APY, etc, for unorganised and gig workers.
The participants were further informed about avenues for accessing institutional finance for enterprise development.
PM Vishwakarma Arunachal Pradesh SLPMU Diksha Nanda Bora conducted a technical session on entrepreneurship, marketing, branding, packaging, e-commerce onboarding, and practical applications of AI.
The session focused on product presentation, pricing, promotional content, digital marketing and customer engagement, highlighting how artisans can use digital tools and AI to improve their products and expand their market reach.
A special session on export of artisans' products sensitised the participants to export procedures, documentation, compliance requirements, and opportunities for taking locally produced artisan products to international markets, besides digital empowerment provisions in the PM Vishwakarma scheme.
The participants were informed about postal export services and the role of Dak Ghar Niryat Kendra in facilitating exports and improving market access for local artisans.
A facilitation desk for Udyam registration was also set up during the programme to provide on-the-spot assistance to artisans and beneficiaries and support their formalisation and digital readiness.
Branch MSME-DFO Ratan Raj highlighted the PM Vishwakarma statistics for artisans in Arunachal Pradesh, and described the opportunities available to artisans engaged in different trades under the scheme.
The programme witnessed enthusiastic participation of artisans, PM Vishwakarma beneficiaries, entrepreneurs, DIC officials, banking representatives and postal representatives. (DIPRO)
