Development of Handicrafts — Exhibition Support for Puducherry Artisans — Frequently Asked Questions

It is a subsidy, not a loan or an equity investment. Eligible craftspersons are reimbursed for the cost of transporting their handicraft goods from the production unit to the exhibition venue, for to-and-fro train travel in 2nd class (berth), and for a daily allowance that varies with the location of the exhibition. Because the support is a reimbursement of real costs, there is no single fixed amount that every applicant receives.

The daily allowance is ₹300 per day for exhibitions held in A1 cities, ₹200 per day for non-A1 cities, and ₹150 per day for local exhibitions within Puducherry. The rate therefore depends entirely on where the event is taking place, with the highest figure applying to A1 cities and the lowest to events held at home in the Union Territory.

The scheme is open to all craftspersons who are residents of the Union Territory of Puducherry and who have handicraft units. Those are the conditions stated in the scheme norms. No further restrictions on age, education, prior experience or size of business are mentioned.

The scheme norms do not state any requirement for DPIIT startup recognition or MSME/Udyam registration. The eligibility conditions given are residency in Puducherry and holding a handicraft unit, and the application is judged on those plus the completeness of the documents submitted.

No. This is a subsidy that reimburses expenses incurred for exhibition participation, so it is non-dilutive — the government takes no equity, no share of revenue and no ownership in the handicraft unit. The artisan retains full control of the business.

There is no fixed deadline. Applications are accepted on a rolling, ongoing basis, so a craftsperson can apply by visiting the District Industries Centre on a working day during office hours. Because there is no cut-off date, the practical thing to check is that the application is complete before submitting it.

Download and print the prescribed application form from the official website's application forms download area, fill in every mandatory field, paste a passport-sized photograph (signed across it if required) and attach self-attested copies of the necessary documents as per the guidelines. The completed and signed form, with documents, must be submitted in person to the General Manager at the District Industries Centre, Thattachavady, Puducherry – 605 009, on a working day during office hours. More details are available at https://dic.py.gov.in/development-of-handicrafts.

Once the application is received, the necessary entries are made in the application receipt register and a unique number is assigned to the applicant. That number acts as an acknowledgement that the application has been submitted and is the reference to use for all future correspondence, including tracking the status of the application.

Applicants need the application form in the prescribed format with all mandatory fields filled in, a passport-sized photograph pasted on it (signed across if required), and self-attested copies of the necessary documents as per the scheme guidelines. The guidelines set out the exact list of supporting papers to attach.

Events covered by the component take place both locally within the Union Territory of Puducherry and in various other states across India. Local exhibitions held in Puducherry attract the ₹150 per day allowance, while events elsewhere qualify for the ₹200 or ₹300 per day rate depending on the city category.

No formal competitive selection process with evaluation rounds or a committee is described for this component. It works as an entitlement-based scheme: an eligible craftsperson who submits a complete application with the required documents is registered for the benefit, and the assessment centres on verifying eligibility and documentation rather than ranking applicants against one another.

Development of Handicrafts — Exhibition Support for Puducherry Artisans is offered by Industries and Commerce Department, Government of Puducherry, a government body. It is provided as non-dilutive funding.