Lidkar Marketing Assistance Scheme — ₹50,000 to ₹1L for SC Artisans — Frequently Asked Questions

It is a Government of Karnataka scheme implemented by Karnataka State Leather Industries Development Corporation Ltd, commonly called Lidkar, a state undertaking. Lidkar directly purchases leather goods made by Scheduled Caste artisans and retails them through its own Lidkar Leather Emporia outlets, giving the artisan a dependable buyer in place of private dealers.

Each eligible artisan can have products procured up to a value of ₹50,000 to ₹1,00,000. The support is non-repayable and works as a grant, because Lidkar is buying the goods outright rather than lending money that must be returned.

You need to be a leather artisan aged 18 or above and belong to one of the listed Scheduled Caste sub-castes — Arundathiyar, Chammadiya, Chamar, Chambar, Chamagar, Madar, Madig, Madiga, Mini Madig, Jambavalu, Haralayya, Machigar, Mochigar, Mochi, Muchi, Telugu Mochi, Kamaati Mocha, Rohidas, Dhor, Kakkayya, Kankayya, Samagara, Samagar, Aadhi Anddra, Aadhi Dravida or Aadhi Karnataka. Your annual family income must not cross ₹30,000 in a rural area or ₹25,000 in an urban area, no family member should be employed in a government or semi-government organisation, and neither you nor your family should have taken benefits from any other government scheme — training programmes are the only exception.

The scheme has no fixed closing date. It is described as rolling and always open, and applications are submitted through the Seva Sindhu portal, which handles ongoing intake for state schemes. Since procurement is driven by Emporia demand, applying early still works in your favour.

Procurement is regular rather than a single transaction. Products are typically picked up once every one to two months, depending on what the Lidkar Leather Emporia and its showrooms require at that point. That cadence gives artisans a predictable market instead of occasional sales.

Neither. The assistance takes the form of a purchase of your products, so the amount is non-repayable and no equity, ownership or stake in your craft business is taken by Lidkar.

Applications are filed online on Karnataka's Seva Sindhu portal. Start with a one-time registration — select "New Users Register Here," enter your Aadhaar number and a Captcha code, and verify the OTP sent to the mobile number linked with your Aadhaar. Next, create a DigiLocker account and grant the permissions the portal requests. Finish registration by entering an email ID and mobile number, setting a password, and validating both with OTPs. Once registered, go to "Department & Services," choose "Social Welfare Department," locate the Marketing Assistance Scheme and click "Apply Online." You will log in using your registered email ID or mobile number and an OTP, then complete the form.

Registration requires your Aadhaar number, a mobile number linked to Aadhaar, a valid email ID and a DigiLocker account. The application form asks for personal details, address information and banking details so procurement payments can be disbursed. It is recommended to have all personal and financial documents ready before you begin, so the process is not interrupted midway.

Once your application is submitted successfully, the portal generates an Application ID. You can log in to the Seva Sindhu portal with that ID to check where your application stands.

Yes. You become ineligible if any family member is employed in a government or semi-government organisation, and you are also excluded if you or your family members have already received benefits under another government scheme. Training programmes are the only benefit that does not count against you.

No. DPIIT (Startup India) recognition is not listed as a mandatory requirement for Lidkar Marketing Assistance Scheme — ₹50,000 to ₹1L for SC Artisans, though having it can strengthen your application and unlock other benefits.

Apply directly through the official application link on this page. Review the eligibility criteria and prepare your startup documents before you begin.