The maximum number of DBT beneficiaries in 2023-24 were under the PM Vishwakarma scheme launched in September 2023.
The beneficiary count under the direct benefit transfer (DBT) initiative of the government with respect to different schemes of the MSME Ministry dropped to 14.44 lakh in the financial year 2023-24, according to the 2023-24 annual report of the MSME Ministry published last week.
In comparison, the DBT beneficiary count was 22.25 lakh in FY23 and 20.17 lakh in FY22, according to the respective year’s annual reports. Importantly, the data in the previous two reports was up to December-end of their respective years.
The drop in beneficiary count in 2023-24 was on the back zero beneficiaries recorded under the SFURTI scheme which aims to promote cluster development for MSMEs in traditional industries such as khadi and village industry, cottage industry, medicinal plants Industry, bee-keeping, agro based & food processing industry, and more.
In 2022-23, the SFURTI scheme had 20.82 lakh DBT beneficiaries while in 2021-22, there were 18.21 lakh beneficiaries.
The scheme focuses on physical infrastructure creation, technology degradation, training, product development, innovation, design interventions, marketability, improved packaging and marketing infrastructure of businesses.
The maximum number of DBT beneficiaries in 2023-24 were under the PM Vishwakarma scheme launched in September 2023. According to the annual report, 8.47 lakh artisans benefitted with Rs 55.66 crore in cash and in kind.
Other schemes with the major chunk of DBT beneficiaries in 2023-24 included grants to khadi artisans under Modified Marketing Development Assistance (MMDA) and Entrepreneurship & Skill Development Programme (ESDP).
1.49 lakh artisans benefited under MMDA grant amounting to Rs 113.16 crore and 3.47 lakh beneficiaries were reported under ESDP with DBT worth Rs 62.84 crore in kind during 2023-24.
Other schemes including the training component of ATI (Assistance to Training Institutions) scheme had 7,290 beneficiaries, Coir Vikas Yojana (4,057 beneficiaries), PMEGP (89,118 beneficiaries), and the International Co-operation scheme (567 beneficiaries) in the previous fiscal.
Meanwhile, the total funds transferred or expenditure incurred by the MSME Ministry under the DBT scheme during 2023-24 was Rs 3,357 crore, 70 per cent higher than Rs 1,975.6 crore (till December 2022) in 2022-23. The highest transfer of Rs 1,505 crore was made under PMEGP during the year.
