Textiles Ministry rolls out Chaupal Programme to empower artisans nationwide

The Chaupal Programme has been designed to promote awareness of India’s rich handicraft traditions, encourage entrepreneurship, and facilitate the formation of sustainable handicraft clusters.

As part of the ongoing National Handicrafts Week celebrations, the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) under the Ministry of Textiles on Thursday launched the nationwide rollout of the Chaupal Programme at a special event held in New Delhi. The programme was inaugurated in the presence of Secretary (Textiles), Ms. Neelam Shami Rao, who attended as the Chief Guest.

Senior officials from the Ministry of Textiles, nodal officers from various States, and key stakeholders from the handicrafts sector participated in the programme, reflecting a collective commitment to strengthening India’s traditional crafts ecosystem.

The Chaupal Programme has been designed to promote awareness of India’s rich handicraft traditions, encourage entrepreneurship, and facilitate the formation of sustainable handicraft clusters. It aligns with the objectives of the National Handicrafts Development Programme (NHDP) and is guided by the mantra of reform, perform, transform and inform.

Under the initiative, Chaupals will be established as permanent, district-level engagement platforms across 100 identified handicraft aspirational districts in the country. These platforms will serve as hubs for artisan enrolment, dissemination of information on government schemes, skill upgradation, and entrepreneurship development throughout the plan period.

Addressing the gathering, Secretary (Textiles) Ms. Neelam Shami Rao reaffirmed the Government of India’s commitment to nurturing the handicrafts sector and empowering artisans at the grassroots level. She said the Chaupal Programme would act as a transformative mechanism to enhance awareness about crafts, attract youth participation, and create new entrepreneurship opportunities, thereby ensuring sustainable livelihoods for artisans.

She emphasised that by strengthening district-level engagement, the programme would help bridge information gaps, improve access to government support, and encourage innovation while preserving traditional skills.

As part of the rollout, the Secretary interacted with nodal officers representing the 100 handicraft aspirational districts selected for the first phase of implementation. To support effective outreach, she distributed Chaupal Kits comprising audio-visual material and essential equipment. These kits will be used to conduct demonstrations, awareness programmes, capacity-building workshops, and digital onboarding of artisans at the district level.

The Ministry said the Chaupal Programme is expected to play a key role in revitalising handicraft clusters, improving market linkages, and fostering inclusive growth in the sector, while reinforcing India’s position as a global hub of traditional arts and crafts.