PM Vishwakarma Awareness Programme on Branding and Marketing Held at Gyalshing.
Gyalshing, August 5 (IPR): A one day awareness programme on Branding and Marketing under the PM Vishwakarma Scheme, under the theme "PM Vishwakarma: Empowering Traditional Artisans and Craftspeople of Sikkim," was organised by the MSME Development and Facilitation Office, Ministry of MSME, Government of India, at Zilla Bhawan, Gyalshing, today.
The program was chaired by Ms Tripti Hangma Subba, Additional District Collector (HQ).
The program also had the presence of Mr Jaydeep Chakraborty, Team Lead, SLPMU; Mr Ivan Gurung, JE, DIC; Mr Anmol Sharma, Inspector, DIC, artisans and entrepreneurs from Gyalshing district and various stakeholders.
Addressing the gathering, Ms. Tripti Hangma Subba thanked the artisans for their enthusiastic participation and the Ministry of MSME for organising the awareness programme. Highlighting the importance of branding and marketing in enhancing the value and market reach of locally made products, she congratulated Ms. Manita Rai for being a member of the Sikkim team that represented the state at Delhi Haat.
She encouraged artisans to make effective use of social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram for business promotion and urged them to embrace AI as a tool to learn branding and marketing.
Stressing innovation among the youth, she called upon aspiring entrepreneurs to explore creative business ideas and highlighting Sikkim's identity as a fully organic state, she advocated for the use of bamboo and other eco-friendly alternatives to plastic and remarked that government offices would readily support locally made organic products if they were effectively marketed.
In addition, she assured that the District Administrative Centre Gyalshing, would extend all possible support to artisans and entrepreneurs.
Earlier in the program Mr. Sameer Pradhan, Marketing Executive, Department of Posts, Gangtok, delivered a detailed presentation on the role of the Department of Posts under the PM Vishwakarma Scheme, highlighting the various postal services that facilitate marketing and business outreach for artisans. The session concluded with an interactive discussion with the participants.
Speaking on financial empowerment and literacy, Mr. Nitesh Kumar, Lead District Manager, Lead Bank, Gyalshing, sensitised the participants on financial literacy, banking services, credit facilities and various insurance schemes available to artisans and entrepreneurs.
Further, Professor P. K. Das from Sikkim University delivered an informative presentation on packaging, pricing, market trends and e-commerce, outlining practical strategies to transform traditional skills into successful enterprises. He also highlighted the significance of branding and cited the example of Delhi Haat, where artisans from Sikkim had showcased their products under the PM Vishwakarma initiative.
Sharing her experience, Ms. Manita Rai, a PM Vishwakarma beneficiary from Gyalshing who participated in Delhi Haat, spoke about her journey and encouraged fellow artisans to make the best use of the opportunities available under the scheme.
Further, Mr. Sukram Rai, SLPMU, explained how AI powered tools can assist local artisans in promoting their products, expanding their customer and strengthening their businesses in the digital marketplace. He gave a live demonstration on how Artificial Intelligence can be used in branding and marketing.
The programme concluded with the distribution of certificates to the participating artisans along with loan sanction letters to beneficiaries whose loan applications under the PM Vishwakarma Scheme had been approved.
The session started with a welcome note from Mr Nirmal Chowdhury, IEDS, Assistant Director, MSME DFO Gangtok and ended with a vote of thanks delivered by Dr. Rahul Kamble, IEDS, Assistant Director, MSME DFO Gangtok.
Report from DIO Gyalshing