Handicraft Rebate Scheme Gujarat — 5% to 20% Subsidy

The Handicraft Rebate Scheme is a Gujarat government subsidy that returns a fixed share of handicraft sales revenue to the producer groups behind it. It is administered by the Commissionerate of Cottage and Rural Industries, part of the state's Cottage and Rural Industries Department, and it is built for organisations rather than individual retailers: registered cooperative societies, apex institutions and women-led groups that make handicrafts in Gujarat.

The mechanism is a rebate rather than a one-off grant. General cooperatives get 5% back on retail sales on a permanent basis, while women-led cooperatives receive 15%. During festive periods a further 10% special rebate is added for 120 days, lifting the total to 15% for general cooperatives and 20% for women-led groups. Artisans from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and those classified as Below Poverty Line, qualify for enhanced rebates as part of the scheme's inclusive-growth focus.

Everything runs through the e-Kutir portal. Registration, the scheme application, document upload and rebate disbursement all happen online, and payments move through an e-voucher system that bypasses intermediaries so entitlements reach beneficiaries directly. The same platform handles toolkit distribution.

The wider purpose is twofold: to sharpen the market competitiveness of Gujarati handicrafts, and to improve the welfare of the artisans who produce them — which in turn supports the survival of traditional crafts and the strength of rural industry in the state.

• Permanent rebate of 5% on handicraft retail sales, and 15% for women-led cooperatives
• Extra 10% festival rebate for 120 days, taking combined totals to 15% and 20%
• Enhanced rebates for SC/ST and Below Poverty Line artisans
• Open to registered cooperative societies, apex institutions and women-led groups
• Rolling applications with no deadline, filed online on the e-Kutir portal
• Rebates paid directly through an e-voucher system, with no intermediaries

This scheme is designed for organised producer groups, not individual sellers. To apply you must fall into one of these categories:

• A registered cooperative society
• An apex institution
• A women-led group

You must also be actively making handicrafts — the scheme backs producers, and applications are assessed on whether that production is genuine. On top of this, applicants need prior rebate certification issued by the Commissionerate of Cottage and Rural Industries before rebates can be claimed.

Applications are filed online through the e-Kutir portal, so you will need to complete an individual registration there and maintain a user profile holding your personal and organisational details. Identity proof, business registration particulars, bank account information and the prior rebate certification are among the documents the form asks for.

The enhanced rebate provisions are targeted specifically at artisans from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and at artisans classified as Below Poverty Line, alongside the higher rates that apply to women-led cooperatives.

Handicraft Rebate Scheme Gujarat — 5% to 20% Subsidy is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.

Handicraft Rebate Scheme Gujarat — 5% to 20% Subsidy 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.

Support under this scheme arrives as a rebate on what you sell rather than as an upfront cheque. Two layers stack on top of each other.

• Permanent rebate: 5% on retail sales for general cooperatives, and 15% for women-led cooperatives.
• Festival rebate: an additional 10% during designated festive periods, running for 120 days. Combined, that means 15% for general cooperatives and 20% for women-led cooperatives.
• Enhanced support: higher rebate treatment for artisans from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and for those classified as Below Poverty Line.

Disbursement happens through the e-Kutir portal's e-voucher system, which routes rebate amounts straight to beneficiaries with no intermediaries in between. The portal is also the channel for toolkit distribution, so the benefits go beyond cash alone.

Handicraft Rebate Scheme Gujarat — 5% to 20% Subsidy is offered by Cottage and Rural Industries Department, Government of Gujarat, a government body. As a government-backed subsidy, it is publicly funded and open to eligible startups across India.

Applications are received and processed entirely on the e-Kutir portal.

• Submission: the applicant registers on the portal, completes a user profile and files the scheme application along with supporting documents.
• Review: the application is examined by the Commissionerate of Cottage and Rural Industries in Gujarat.
• Verification: assessors check the applicant's eligibility, confirm that the handicraft production is authentic, and validate the paperwork submitted — the prior rebate certification included.
• Disbursement: once verification succeeds, the rebate entitlements are processed for payment through the e-voucher system.

If an application is returned for revision, a "Modify" option appears on the portal so it can be corrected and resubmitted.

Before you apply to Handicraft Rebate Scheme Gujarat — 5% to 20% Subsidy, 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.