Karnataka minister K.H. Muniyappa highlighted his contribution to promoting entrepreneurship through MSME initiatives and urged support for traditional industries.
Bengaluru Rural
Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister K.H. Muniyappa recalled that during his tenure as Union Minister for MSME, one lakh enterprises were established across the country under the Employment Generation Programme. He was speaking after inaugurating the Pradhan Mantri Vishwakarma Awareness Programme organized by the MSME Development Office and District Industries Centre at the Zilla Panchayat Hall.
Muniyappa said the initiative had extended subsidies ranging from ₹5 lakh to ₹25 lakh to one lakh families, enabling around eight lakh people to earn livelihoods. The programme’s main goal, he noted, was to help educated youth become self-employed and reduce dependence on jobs. He stressed the importance of using and promoting swadeshi (indigenous) products, reflecting Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of self-reliance.
Highlighting the role of traditional crafts and small-scale industries, he said cottage industries empower families to achieve financial independence. With technology advancing, he urged artisans to adapt by producing and selling their goods online while maintaining high product quality to ensure market demand and profitability.
Muniyappa added that the central government’s Vishwakarma Scheme supports 18 traditional crafts, including carpentry, metalwork, pottery, tailoring, goldsmithing, and leatherwork. He instructed officials to establish an exhibition center to help artisans showcase and sell their products.
The event was attended by Arya Vaishya Development Corporation chairman Ram Prasad, Deputy Commissioner A.B. Basavaraju, MSME Joint Director Devaraj K., and several officials, artisans, and beneficiaries.