IPS Handicraft Artisans Scheme: ₹10,000–₹50,000 Equipment Grant

The Investment Promotion Scheme (IPS) for Handicraft Artisans is a support programme of the Department of Industries, UT Administration of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. Its sub-scheme — Assistance for Capital Investment to Uplift the Economic Condition of Artisans/Persons — gives an eligible artisan or self-employed worker a grant of ₹10,000 to ₹50,000, handed over as the tools and equipment their trade needs. Nothing is repaid.

The sub-scheme dates back to 2015, and the current Investment Promotion Scheme window stays open until May 2027. It forms one part of the UT's wider effort to grow its micro, small and medium enterprise base, draw more women into business, and reduce unemployment among local residents.

Where the scheme earns its keep is in solving a very concrete problem: the cost of the equipment an artisan needs in order to earn. It recognises 27 separate activities, which is why its reach extends well past traditional crafts. Potters, tailors, carpenters and cobblers sit on the same list as mobile repairers, plumbers, beauty parlour operators, and vegetable or milk-and-curd vendors.

Because the support arrives as physical work tools, recipients can turn out better work and take on more of it, without taking on a loan to do so. Applications go through the Department of Industries, and a committee decides the final list after weighing the trade, the applicant's financial position and the income the equipment is likely to generate.

• Non-repayable grant of ₹10,000 to ₹50,000
• Given as tools and equipment, never as a repayable loan
• Open to SC/ST/OBC/EWS artisans and self-employed workers in DNH & Daman & Diu
• Covers 27 activities, from carpentry and pottery to mobile repair and vending
• Income cap of ₹2,00,000 (rural) or ₹2,50,000 (urban)
• Rolling applications; scheme runs until May 2027

Only handloom and handicraft artisans and self-employed workers who live in the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu can apply.

• You must be above 18 years of age.
• You must belong to the SC, ST, OBC or EWS category.
• You must be a resident of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
• You must be engaged in one of the 27 specified activities notified under the scheme.
• Your annual income must be up to ₹2,00,000 if you live in a rural area, or up to ₹2,50,000 if you live in an urban area.

Being self-employed rather than a full-time craftsperson is not a bar — the trade you practise simply has to appear on the scheme's list of covered activities.

IPS Handicraft Artisans Scheme: ₹10,000–₹50,000 Equipment Grant is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.

IPS Handicraft Artisans Scheme: ₹10,000–₹50,000 Equipment Grant accepts applications on a rolling basis — there is no fixed cut-off date, so eligible startups can apply at any time. Because rolling programmes can pause without notice, confirm the window is still open on the official site before you start.

The benefit is a non-repayable grant ranging from ₹10,000 to ₹50,000, with the exact amount depending on the trade or activity you are engaged in.

• The assistance is issued as tools and equipment required for your work.
• It is a grant, so no repayment, interest or debt is involved.
• The equipment is intended to lift productivity and the quality of service you can offer.
• It supports self-employment and steady income generation, and can be used to start or expand an existing livelihood.

Beneficiaries include carpenters, tailors, potters, cobblers, plumbers, mobile repairers, beauty parlour operators and vendors, among others covered by the notified activity list.

IPS Handicraft Artisans Scheme: ₹10,000–₹50,000 Equipment Grant is offered by Department of Industries, UT Administration of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, a government body. As a government-backed grant, it is publicly funded and open to eligible startups across India.

Every application is made online and moves through three stages.

1. Preliminary screening. The Department of Industries first checks that you satisfy all the eligibility conditions and that every required document has been attached and is complete.
2. Evaluation. Applications that clear screening are assessed on the trade you follow, your financial need, and the potential of the proposed tools and equipment to generate income for you.
3. Committee decision. A designated committee makes the final selection. Successful applicants are then informed about how the assistance will be disbursed.

Only applications that pass the screening stage proceed to evaluation.

Before you apply to IPS Handicraft Artisans Scheme: ₹10,000–₹50,000 Equipment Grant, keep the following documents ready:

• A pitch deck or short business plan describing the problem, product and traction
• Company registration documents and PAN
• Founder identification (PAN / Aadhaar) and brief profiles
• Recent financial statements or projections
• Product details — a demo, prototype or working link if available

Exact requirements are confirmed on the official application portal — treat this as a preparation checklist.

IPS Handicraft Artisans Scheme: ₹10,000–₹50,000 Equipment Grant is best suited for startups in India seeking non-dilutive funding of ₹10,000 – ₹50,000. If that describes your startup, review the eligibility criteria above before applying.