30-Sep-2022: National level exhibition of traditional products from SFURTI clusters being organized for the first time commemorating Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
Khadi and Village Industries Commission, a Statutory Body under Ministry of MSME, is organizing a SFURTI Mela at Dilli Haat, INA, New Delhi from 1st October to 15th October, 2022. This national level exhibition of traditional products from SFURTI clusters is being organized for the first time, also commemorating the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
Under SFURTI, traditional artisans are organized into clusters for manufacturing value added traditional products to enhance their income. These clusters cover traditional sectors such handloom, handicrafts, khadi, coir, agro-products, etc. Government of India provides assistance for infrastructure development, capacity building, marketing and design promotion, etc. Till date, 498 clusters have been supported under SFURTI across the country directly benefiting around 3 lakh artisans.
During the SFURTI Mela, 100 artisans from 50 SFURTI clusters covering 28 States will be showcasing their traditional products of handloom, handicrafts, khadi, coir, agro-processing These include clusters such as- Sozni Embroidery cluster of Jammu and Kashmir, Cane and Bamboo cluster of Meghalaya, Channapatna Toy cluster of Karnataka, Natural Dye Cluster of Rajasthan, Madhubani painting Cluster of Bihar, Kolhapuri Traditional Jewellery cluster of Maharashtra, Coir cluster of Kerala, Carpet and Durrie Cluster of Uttar Pradesh, Millet Cluster of Odisha, Eri Silk Khadi Cluster of Arunachal Pradesh among others.
The purpose of this SFURTI Mela is to promote the traditional products from across the country among the citizens, during the festive times. Besides, this mela will also open new avenues for the artisans for marketing and sales of these cluster products.
Live demonstration of manufacturing processes of traditional products has also been organized in the Theme pavilion of this Mela.
16-Dec-2021: Vizianagaram Coir Cluster
Ministry of MSME implements Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) for organizing traditional industries and artisans into collectives for providing sustainable employment to artisans. Under SFURTI, Vizianagaram Coir Cluster has become functional and started production of rubberised coir.
Under the project, Rs.203.32 lakh has been approved for undertaking the activities under Hard Interventions which includes construction of common facility center, procurement of machinery and purchase of raw material, etc. Of these, Rs. 40 lakh has been approved for construction of common facility centre. Under Soft Intervention component of the scheme, Rs. 25 lakh has been approved which includes product development, capacity building, market promotion activities, etc. The entire amount of Rs.25 lakh earmarked for Soft Intervention activities has been released to the cluster for undertaking various programmes on capacity building, market promotion, etc.
2-Dec-2021: Convergence of SFURTI Scheme
Ministry of MSME conducts regular assessment of the functional SFURTI clusters in respect of their profitability and marketability through during various review meetings, visits to clusters and 3rd party evaluation, etc. Based on the same, it has been observed that marketability and profitability of the clusters require special support due to the COVID 19 pandemic. To ensure the same, the Ministry has taken various initiatives like training on design development and product diversification to cater to the market demand, encouraging linkages with e-commerce portals, etc.
SFURTI scheme is applicable across the country. However, to expand the reach of the scheme across the country, special focus is given on proposals received from districts without an approved SFURTI cluster and Aspirational districts. The Ministry encourages the convergence of the SFURTI scheme with other welfare schemes of Ministries/Departments of Central and State Government. The Implementing Agencies of the clusters are already required to open bank accounts and provide General and Health Insurance to all artisans.
Minimum wage for artisans has not been specified under SFURTI. However, Ministry takes necessary initiatives under the scheme to upskill the traditional artisans and provide them with infrastructural support to add value to their products, thereby increasing their income in a sustainable manner.
The timeframe for functionalization of a SFURTI cluster since its approval is 12 months for a Regular cluster (up to 500 artisans) and 18 months for a Major cluster (more than 500 artisans). Ministry takes regular review of the clusters under implementation to ensure the timeline for functionalization of clusters are adhered to.