Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS), is a skilling initiative from MoMA focussing on the skilling, entrepreneurship and leadership training requirements of the minority and artisan communities across the country. The scheme is intended to be implemented in convergence with the ‘Skill India Mission’ of Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and through integration with the Skill India Portal (SIP).
The scheme has the following components aiming to benefit approximately 9 lakh candidates the 15th Finance Commission Cycle:
Leadership and Entrepreneurship Component (earlier Nai Roshni) - This component seeks to promote leadership development and basic entrepreneurship primarily among youth from minority communities and artisan families through focused modules. The Entrepreneurship sub-component within this component, aims to exclusively handhold women trained in leadership and basic entrepreneurship on an intensive entrepreneurship training. Further, it intends to select aspiring women entrepreneurs, from amongst those trained, to become Business Mentors (to be known as ‘Biz Sakhis’ in the scheme) and promote establishment of individual or group enterprises for the same. This component aims to cover 2 lakh women for the 60-hour leadership training, out of which 1 lakh shall undergo a 100 hour entrepreneurship training. 10,000 out of these women shall further undergo 240 hour training and shall be equipped to become business correspondents (Biz Sakhis)