Project HastKala Setu Yojana Receives “Gold” (Ease of Doing Business) SKOCH Award

Ahmedabad : HastKala Setu Yojana, a project initiated & supported by the Commissionerate of Cottage and Rural Industries (CCRI), Government of Gujarat, and implemented by Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, Ahmedabad has been honoured with the SKOCH AWARD. The Project has won Gold Medal under the category of Ease of Doing Business.

SKOCH Award is India’s highest independent civilian honour. All nominations go through a rigorous evaluation process, which spans four months. Instituted in 2003, SKOCH Award salutes people, projects and institutions for their extraordinary achievements in contributing to the society. The Hastkala yojana was applied for, under the State Government Category. 42 State Government projects were shortlisted after three rounds of selection. Winners were decided after final Panel Discussion and questionnaire session.

EDII, as implementing agency for the Hastakala Setu Yojana has been striving to develop an entrepreneurial ecosystem to strengthen rural and cottage industries of Gujarat. Hast Kala Setu Yojana envisions altering the conditions of handicraft and handloom artisans on the premise of skills and knowledge. As part of the programme, EDII is bridging knowledge and skill gaps among rural artisans and helping them adopt newer practices to enhance their business prospects.  Commenced with 6 districts in September 2020, the Project has today expanded itself to cover all 33 districts of Gujarat.

So far, 30365 artisans have been sensitized & trained, with 16670 having received advanced skill training, need based domain training, facilitation in promotion & marketing linkages and mentorship support to enhance their prospects. These artisans have notched a revenue of Rs. 28.85 crores.

The overall business prospects show a visible improvement with development of new designs, new networking options, outreach to newer markets and registration on online platforms (including some especially created for artisans).

Reacting on the prestigious recognition received, Shri Pravin Solanki (IAS), Secretary & Commissioner, Cottage & Rural Industries, Govt. of Gujarat said, “The Sate gets its identity from its Handicraft and Handloom legacy. It is our responsibility to nurture these crafts and see them flourish.  And, so the Government decided to work towards upskilling the weavers and artisans in the domain, with the help of Institutes, like EDII. I am happy that all our efforts showed results and we finally see them developing new designs, adopting modern methods, using their knowledge and resorting to multiple modern methods and online platforms to promote and sell their products. There is clearly an ‘ease of doing business that has come about.’

According to EDII Director General, Dr. Sunil Shukla, “With e-commerce and social media completely transforming the business landscape globally, it is imperative for rural entrepreneurs to remain abreast of these technological advances and the massive opportunities these alone can bring to them.  It is equally important to ensure that rural artisans keep pace with these changes and equip themselves to remain sustainable. EDII is handholding entrepreneurs, under the Hast Kala Yojana Project, to enhance their skills & knowledge, give them newer markets and promote ease of reaching out to customers.  Today, they are making innovative, marketable products with high demand.”

Across Gujarat, the implementation of the Hast Kala Setu Project is helping in boosting rural entrepreneurship ecosystem in the domain of traditional art and craft. The project is a commendable move towards reviving the age-old crafts of Gujarat which were almost on the verge of extinction.

About Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII)

The Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), Ahmedabad was set up in 1983 as an autonomous and not-for-profit Institute with support of apex financial institutions – the IDBI Bank Ltd., IFCI Ltd., ICICI Bank Ltd. and State Bank of India (SBI). The Government of Gujarat pledged twenty-three acres of land on which stands the majestic and sprawling EDII Campus.  EDII has been recognized as the CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Govt. of India. The Institute has also been listed as the Institute of National Importance by the Education Department, Govt. of Gujarat. For more information visit: www.ediindia.org