Jute Design Resource Centre Scheme: Free Designs for Jute MSMEs & Exporters

The Jute Design Resource Centre Scheme is a Government of India initiative delivered by the National Jute Board, an autonomous body functioning under the Ministry of Textiles. It works specifically on the Jute Diversified Products (JDP) segment, where fresh thinking and a wider product range are what keep units competitive.

At the centre of the scheme sits a design development hub. That hub keeps working on creating, refining and circulating designs that are modern, market-worthy and tuned to emerging trends, and then passes them on to jute units that need them. Beyond ready designs, the centre also takes up product development for individual units — whether a request is handled at no cost or on a sharing basis depends on how many designs are sought and what kind they are.

The wider objective is competitiveness. By opening up advanced design expertise and technical know-how to jute businesses, the scheme helps Indian jute products hold their ground in domestic and international markets, while supporting the sector's role in economic growth and employment generation.

• Two jute bag designs free for every unit each quarter, with the National Jute Board bearing raw material and accessory costs
• Unlimited extra designs on a cost-sharing basis where you pay only for raw materials
• Twelve months of exclusive domestic and export marketing rights on developed cost-shared designs
• A trademark registered within that year extends manufacturing and marketing rights for the registration period
• Free technical specification sheets, workshops and skill training at designated centres
• Open to jute artisans, MSME units, exporters, women SHGs and trained JRMC & Production Centre beneficiaries

Eligibility here is decided by your place in the jute value chain, not by funding stage, turnover or valuation. The scheme is open to:

• Jute artisans
• Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) units
• Exporters
• Women Self Help Groups (SHGs)
• Beneficiaries trained by a Jute Raw Material Centre & Production Centre

Along with falling into one of those categories, an applicant has to put in a formal request in the prescribed format. The request is specifically for the jute bag designs that the Jute Design Resource Centre has developed and keeps on file.

In practice, that means the application is assessed on your applicant category and the completeness of the prescribed requisition form.

Jute Design Resource Centre Scheme: Free Designs for Jute MSMEs & Exporters is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.

Jute Design Resource Centre Scheme: Free Designs for Jute MSMEs & Exporters 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 is not handed over as cash. What a beneficiary receives is access to designs, development work, specification documents and training — the inputs that are usually hardest for a small jute unit to buy on its own.

• Two designs free of charge for every unit each quarter. For these, raw materials and accessories are paid for entirely by the National Jute Board.
• Unlimited additional designs on a cost-sharing route. These are allotted on a first-come, first-served basis. The centre gives the design ideas and making charges free, while the applicant picks up the raw material bill.
• Exclusive market rights on developed cost-shared designs. For twelve months, the exporter or manufacturer holds the sole right to sell and market that product in India and in export markets, with confidentiality maintained around the design. Should a trademark be secured inside that window, full manufacturing and marketing rights carry on for the life of the trademark registration.
• Technical specification sheets loaded with essential tips, provided at no charge.
• Workshops and skill training programmes conducted at designated centres, free of cost.

Taken together, these benefits translate into design mentorship, market access, training and incubation-style hand-holding for jute units.

One cost to keep in mind: if you choose to register a trademark for a developed product, the registration fee and the expense of any legal action against infringement are yours to bear.

Jute Design Resource Centre Scheme: Free Designs for Jute MSMEs & Exporters is offered by Ministry of Textiles, a government body. As a government-backed grant, it is publicly funded and open to eligible startups across India. You can verify current details and timelines on the provider's official website before applying.

There is no competitive selection round or judging panel here — requests are accepted on a rolling basis and processed once submitted. The route is offline.

• Obtain the requisition form. The application format appears inside the scheme guidelines published on the National Jute Board's website. It has to be printed, since it is the physical document through which jute bag and made-up designs are requested from the centre.
• Fill in the unit's details. The form calls for the unit's registration status, Goods and Services Tax (GST) number, Importer-Exporter Code (IEC) and a valid Registration Cum Membership Certificate (RCMC) number. It also requires you to state plainly whether the designs are meant for the domestic market or for export.
• Declare the basis of the request and any trademark plan. A free-basis request covers a limited number of designs with raw material costs met by NJB; a cost-sharing request covers unlimited designs with raw materials paid for by the applicant. If you intend to register a trademark on the new product, that intent has to be disclosed in the form.
• Submit the signed application. Put the date, place, name and designation on the completed form and file it, along with any supporting documentation, at the appropriate regional or head office of the National Jute Board.
• Review. Once received, the request is examined for eligibility and completeness. Design services start only after that check is cleared.

Before you apply to Jute Design Resource Centre Scheme: Free Designs for Jute MSMEs & Exporters, 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.