Jammu : The MSME-Development & Facilitation Office (MSME-DFO) Jammu, under the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Government of India, organised a PM Vishwakarma Awareness Programme on Branding & Marketing at Government Industrial Institute Rajouri.
The programme was organised with the objective of generating awareness among artisans and traditional craftspeople about branding and marketing of their products, Government support schemes, access to finance, skill development, entrepreneurship and emerging digital and artificial intelligence (AI) tools that can help them improve the quality, visibility and marketability of their products.
The programme commenced with a welcome address and a brief overview of the PM Vishwakarma programme by Assistant Director, MSME-DFO Jammu Vinu Jee Koul. He highlighted the importance of awareness and capacity building among artisans to enable them to effectively utilise the benefits available under the scheme.
Joint Director, MSME-DFO, Jammu Amit Kumar Tamaria elaborated upon the objectives of the programme and the role of the MSME sector in promoting entrepreneurship, employment generation and inclusive economic development. He encouraged artisans to make effective use of Government initiatives and available institutional support for expanding their businesses. General Manager, District Industries Centre (DIC), Rajouri Harpal Singh also addressed the participants and apprised them of the support available to local artisans and entrepreneurs through the district-level industrial ecosystem.
The programme was formally inaugurated by the Chief Guest Deputy Commissioner Rajouri Abhishek Sharma, who appreciated the initiative of MSME-DFO Jammu for organising the awareness programme for artisans and traditional craftspeople of the district. He emphasised the importance of improving the branding, packaging and marketing of locally produced goods and encouraged artisans to take advantage of the government schemes and institutional support available for their economic empowerment.
During the technical sessions, HOD, Management Studies, BGSB University Gaurav Sehgal delivered a detailed session on Marketing and Branding. He sensitised the participants to the importance of developing a distinct brand identity, effective product presentation, customer engagement and modern marketing practices for enhancing the reach and competitiveness of artisan products.
I/C Functional Manager DIC Vivek Sharma apprised the participants about the schemes of the Department of Industries & Commerce, J&K and explained the support available to artisans and entrepreneurs through the department.
A dedicated session on the schemes of the Department of Handicrafts & Handloom, J&K was conducted by Assistant Director, Department of Handicrafts & Handloom Propkar Singh.
The participants were informed about the initiatives and assistance available for the promotion and development of handicrafts and handloom activities. Faculty, JKEDI Rajouri Hilal Ahmad Rather delivered a session on the role of JKEDI in skill development and entrepreneurship, highlighting opportunities for capacity building, entrepreneurial development and self-employment. A special presentation on AI Tools for Artisans was delivered by Team Lead, Jammu PMVK SLPMU Kanav Kapahi and Consultant, PMVK SLPMU Ajay Pal Singh. The session introduced participants to the potential use of Artificial Intelligence and digital tools for areas such as product presentation, marketing, content creation and promotion of artisan products in contemporary markets. The participants were also apprised of financial assistance and credit facilities provided by banks by Lead District Manager, Rajouri Ravinder Singh Nagra. The session focused on improving awareness regarding institutional credit and financial support available to artisans and entrepreneurs. Senior Manager (IPPB), Rajouri/Poonch Anil Mathur conducted a session on India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) and QR Code generation. As part of the session, 25 QR Codes were generated for the participating beneficiaries, enabling them to adopt digital payment facilities and strengthen their access to cashless transactions.
In particular, 45 queries related to toolkits raised by the participants were addressed and resolved by the PM Vishwakarma Programme Management Unit (PMU) team during the interaction session. The initiative provided immediate assistance to beneficiaries and helped resolve their concerns relating to the PM Vishwakarma toolkit component.
An interactive Question & Answer Session was subsequently held, during which participants raised queries regarding branding and marketing, Government schemes, financial assistance, digital payments, entrepreneurship and other issues related to the development and promotion of their traditional trades and businesses. The queries were addressed by the concerned speakers and officials.
