USTTAD (Upgrading Skills and Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development)

✦Key Features

• Covers traditional crafts: Zari-Zardozi, Chikankari, Bidriware, Meenakari, Khatamband, Sozni, Pashmina, Kani Shawl
• Training by master craftsmen (Ustad) to apprentices (Shagird)
• Certification: National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) aligned
• Market linkage: e-commerce platforms, craft fairs, exhibitions
• Companion to Seekho Aur Kamao; both under Ministry of Minority Affairs
• Preserves GI-tagged minority crafts from extinction

✓Eligibility Criteria

• The applicant must belong to a notified Minority community (Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Parsi, or Jain).
• The trainee must be between 18 and 45 years of age and possess traditional ancestral craft skills.
• Traditional artisans and master craftsmen are eligible to act as trainers and project leaders.
• The scheme is open to Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs) such as NGOs, societies, and government organizations.
• Artisans must be part of the value chain of identified traditional arts or crafts that are in danger of extinction.

★Benefits

• Artisans receive skill up-gradation and training to adapt their traditional crafts to modern market demands.
• Trainees are provided with a monthly stipend during the training period to support their livelihoods.
• The scheme facilitates direct market access through national and international exhibitions like Hunar Haats.
• Systemic outcomes include the documentation and preservation of heritage crafts and the establishment of global brand identities.
• Beneficiaries receive support for product design, branding, and packaging to increase the commercial value of their work.

▶Application Process

• Artisans must enroll through Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs) authorized by the Ministry of Minority Affairs.
• PIAs submit project proposals for skill up-gradation and market linkages on the USTTAD portal.
• Selected candidates undergo a formal verification of their minority status and artisan credentials.
• Artisans are registered for participation in exhibitions like 'Hunar Haat' through the official online application system.
• Master craftsmen are empanelled after a technical committee evaluates their expertise in traditional art forms.

₹ Budget Allocation

100

Funding Ratio (Centre:State): 100% Central Sector Scheme

Historical Context

Launched in May 2015 in Varanasi to upgrade the skills of master craftsmen/artisans of minority communities and to preserve traditional heritage crafts.