In December 2025, The Office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) under Ministry of Textiles (MoT), launched the nationwide rollout of the Chaupal Program in New Delhi, Delhi, during the National Handicrafts Week (8-14 December 2025) celebrations to empower handicraft artisans across India.
- Neelam Shami Rao, Secretary of MoT, graced the event as the Chief Guest.
- What? Nationwide rollout of the Chaupal Program launched
- By Whom? Office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), MoT
- Where? New Delhi, Delhi
- Aim: To strengthen the handicrafts ecosystem and empower grassroots artisans.
- Chief Guest: Ms. Neelam Shami Rao, Secretary (Textiles)
- Coverage: 100 handicraft aspirational districts
- Aligned with: National Handicrafts Development Programme (NHDP)
Chaupal Program Overview:
Objective: The hubs aim to promote awareness of India’s handicraft traditions, empower artisans, encourage entrepreneurship, and facilitate sustainable handicraft clusters through artisan enrolment, scheme awareness, skill development, entrepreneurship promotion, and digital onboarding.
Framework: The Chaupal Program is guided by the core mantra of Reform, Perform, Transform, and Inform.
Alignment: The initiative aligns with the objectives of the National Handicrafts Development Programme (NHDP).
Platform: Chaupals are permanent, district-level engagement hubs to be established across 100 identified handicraft aspirational districts.
Launch & Kits: Neelam Shami Rao distributed Chaupal Kits containing audio-visual materials and essential equipment for demonstrations, awareness sessions, and capacity-building workshops.
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