Handicrafts constitute an important segment of the de-centralized/unorganized sector of our economy. It is mainly rural based, having reach in backward and in-accessible area.
Originally, started as a part time activity in rural areas, it has now transformed into a flourishing economic activity due to significant market demand over the years. Handicrafts have big potential as they hold the key for sustaining not only the existing set of millions of artisans spread over length and breadth of the country, but also for increasingly large number of new entrants in the crafts activity.
Presently, handicraft sector is contributing substantially in employment generation and export but this sector has suffered due to very nature of being unorganized with additional constraints like lack of education, capital, poor exposure to new technologies, absence of market intelligence and poor institutional framework. In order to overcome these constraints, Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hastashilp Vikas Yojana (BAHVY) was launched in 2001-02 wherein the main thrust is on a projectised, need based approach for integrated development of potential handicrafts clusters with participation of the craft persons at all stages of implementation of the scheme with the ultimate objective of their empowerment and hence sustainability.
The scheme envisages a package of support to the cluster of handicraft artisans, which inter-alia includes basic inputs and infrastructure support in addition to capacity enhancement to cater to target markets.
While it is an undisputed fact that the Govt. of India and the State Governments have intervened in meaningful ways that have led to the revival and survival of crafts in the past few decades, in the light of new economic developments of one global unified market, handicrafts sector of India has to be strengthened further to be globally competitive.
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