Institutional Finance and Rural Artisans: Progress, Performance and Prospects

Artisans constitute a heterogeneous group consisting of handicrafts, handlooms, pottery, pattachitra etc. Presently there is a blend of traditional touch with modern outlook in the works of these artisans. On account of this the products of artisans sector is in great demand both in national and international markets. Of all the problems confronted by the artisans financial problem is the most crucial one. In order to solve this problem a number of financial institutions providing short term loan and long term loan have come into existence in recent years, such as: commercial banks, cooperative banks, regional rural banks, SFCs and IDBI etc. The present volume not only deals indepthly the working of these institutions but seeks to analyse the impact of institutional credit on generation of output income employment and asset formation by the artisans belonging to different trades. The impact of institutional finance is marginal no doubt that but it has provided the basic foundation for the growth of artisan sector at the national and sub-national level. The work is a scholarly one, comprising both secondary and empirical data and materials. The policy prescriptions are based on field level observations ‘if implemented in right earnest’ will give a boost to artisan sector in the country. The book will be of immense help to academicians, researchers, planners, administrators, policy makers, entrepreneurs and general public who are interested about the artisans and their units.