West Bengal Artisan Enlistment Portal and Artisan Card – Directorate of MSME, Govt. of West Bengal
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West Bengal Artisan Enlistment Portal and Artisan Card
Problem
- Many skilled artisans in West Bengal lack formal recognition for their craftsmanship,
- Many skilled artisans have limited access to government support, financial assistance, and market opportunities.
- Artisans often face challenges in accessing welfare schemes, subsidies, and skill development programs.
- Without official recognition, artisans may struggle to access affordable credit and financial resources.
- The decline of traditional crafts poses a threat to West Bengal’s rich cultural heritage
Solution
- User Friendly Interface to accommodate diverse users in West Bengal.
- Artisans can register on the portal by providing basic information such as name, craft, specialization, etc.
- Artisans, along with their application, can upload images, descriptions, etc to create a virtual catalog.
- Real-time monitoring of applications accelerates the disposal and increases accountability.
- Generation of reports and analytics to track application process.
Challenges
- Many artisans may have limited exposure to digital technologies
- Building trust and demonstrating the benefits of the portal in terms of market access is challenging.
- Gathering accurate and comprehensive data from artisans for registration and profile creation has been challenging.
- Validating artisan credentials and ensuring authenticity of information provided has been challenging.
- Safeguarding sensitive data including personal information of the applicant is challenging.
Outcomes
- A centralized data base has been generated.
- Artisans gain increased visibility and exposure for their products through the portal.
- Authentic artisans now can have access to financial services such as credit, government benefit schemes.
- The portal contributes to the preservation and promotion of traditional artisanal skills and cultural heritage of West Bengal.
- Overall improvement in the socio-economic well-being of artisan households.
SKOCH Award Nominee
Category: State Government – Micro Small and Medium Enterprise and Textile
Sub-Category: secState Government – Micro Small and Medium Enterprise and Textile
Project: West Bengal Artisan Enlistment Portal and Artisan Card
Start Date: 8-23-2023
Organisation: Directorate of MSME, Govt. of West Bengal
Respondent: Swaroop Udayakumar
https://artisan.wb.gov.in/
Level: Premium Star
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Case Study
West Bengal Artisan Enlistment Portal and Artisan Card
Introduction:
West Bengal Artisan Enlistment Portal and Artisan Card is a government initiative aimed at providing recognition and support to artisans and craftsmen in the state of West Bengal. The Artisan card serves as an official identification and registration document for skilled artisans, facilitating access to market, various welfare schemes and financial assistance. The enlistment of the artisans is done through a dedicated portal for the Artisan Enlistment.
Problems:
Many skilled artisans in West Bengal lack formal recognition for their craftsmanship and many skilled artisans have limited access to government support, financial assistance, and market opportunities. Artisans often face challenges in accessing welfare schemes, subsidies, and skill development programs. Without official recognition, artisans may struggle to access affordable credit and financial resources and the decline of traditional crafts poses a threat to West Bengal’s rich cultural heritage.
Solution:
User Friendly Interface was introduced and the interface includes intuitive navigation, clear calls-to-action, and bi-lingual options to accommodate diverse users in West Bengal. Artisans can register on the portal by providing basic information such as name, craft, specialization, etc. Artisans, along with their application, can upload images, descriptions, etc to create a virtual catalog. Real-time monitoring of applications accelerates the disposal and increases accountability and generation of reports and analytics to track application process.
Challenges:
Many artisans, particularly those from rural areas or older generations, may have limited exposure to digital technologies. Building trust and demonstrating the benefits of the portal in terms of market access is challenging. Gathering accurate and comprehensive data from artisans for registration and profile creation has been challenging. Validating artisan credentials and ensuring authenticity of information provided and safeguarding sensitive data including personal information of the applicant has been challenging.
Innovation:
The selection of an Artisan Enlistment Portal in West Bengal was driven by several factors that align with the objectives and priorities of government and other stakeholders involved in artisan development. There was a need of Artisan database in West Bengal to have consolidated information about artisans and their products and to impart Govt. benefits to authentic beneficiaries. The portal was selected to promote and preserve traditional artisanal skills, ensuring their continuity and recognition in a rapidly changing socio-economic landscape. The portal also aims to empower artisan communities by providing them with a digital platform to showcase their products, access markets, and receive support services.
Outcomes:
A centralized data base has been generated. Data collected through the portal informs evidence-based policy-making and program design related to artisan development. Artisans gain increased visibility and exposure for their products through the portal, leading to expanded market access beyond local markets. Authentic Artisans now can have access to financial services such as credit, government benefit schemes through Artisan Enlistment Nos & Artisan Cards. The portal contributes to the preservation and promotion of traditional artisanal skills and cultural heritage of West Bengal.
Opportunities:
The portal and the database server have been designed to cope with the increasing no. of Artisan Registrations and storage of their product details on the portal. Moreover, the portal has been designed in such a way keeping in mind future integration with multiple Financial Benefit Schemes and payment gateway.
Summary:
West Bengal has variety of localized handicraft and weaving products, however there has been no centralized data of artisans and weavers associated with such art form. As a result, it was difficult for Govt. to extend formal support to authentic beneficiaries. As a result, need of a digital platform to enlist and support artisans was identified. With the help of thorough stakeholder consultation including artisan groups and societies/ associations, Artisan Enlistment portal was conceptualized and developed. The same was launched by Honourable Chief Minister of West Bengal on 23rd Aug 2023.
For more information, please contact:
Swaroop Udayakumar at dir.msse-wb@nic.in
(The content on the page is provided by the Exhibitor)
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