National Handicrafts Development Programme: Research & Development Scheme

What is the Handicrafts Research & Development Scheme?

The Research & Development Scheme is a component of the National Handicrafts Development Programme (NHDP), run by the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) under the Ministry of Textiles. According to the NHDP guidelines, the Research & Development Scheme is designed to generate feedback on the economic, social, aesthetic and promotional aspects of various crafts and artisans, so that policy and programmes for the handicrafts sector rest on evidence rather than guesswork.

The scheme does this by funding surveys, studies, workshops, seminars and conferences. It is not a benefit an individual artisan claims; it is a grant-in-aid to organisations that carry out research and documentation for the sector. Typical work includes mapping craft clusters, studying raw material, technology and design, assessing domestic and overseas markets, and documenting or protecting endangered crafts and traditional knowledge.

Key features

• 100% grant-in-aid to eligible organisations, released in two instalments.
• Funds surveys, studies, seminars, workshops and conferences on crafts.
• Studies run 3 to 12 months; seminars/workshops are usually one day.
• Administered by the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts).

Who is eligible for the R&D grant?

Who can apply:

• Autonomous organisations registered under relevant statutes.
• Producer Companies and Section-8 (non-profit) Companies.
• NGOs and educational institutions.
• Urban and rural local self-government institutions.
• Export Promotion Councils, the Central Cottage Industries Emporium and the National Crafts Museum.
• State and central government agencies.

Who cannot apply / is not eligible:

• Individual artisans and individual researchers cannot apply for a grant under this scheme. It supports institutions, not persons.
• Organisations with no relevant registration or credentials in the handicrafts or research field are not eligible.

Individual artisans who want direct support should look at other NHDP components aimed at artisans: such as marketing, skilling or credit assistance: rather than the Research & Development Scheme.

What kinds of studies does the scheme fund?

The Research & Development Scheme supports a wide range of evidence-generating activity, including:

• Mapping and documentation of craft clusters and market trends.
• Studies on availability of raw material, technology and design.
• Market evaluation for domestic and overseas handicrafts and techno-economic feasibility studies.
• Registration of GI crafts, preparation of legal documents, and protection of endangered crafts, heritage and traditional knowledge.
• Seminars, workshops and conferences to share findings and build awareness.

A survey or study can last 3 to 12 months; a seminar or workshop is generally one day, extendable only with special approval.

How much grant is given?

The financial assistance is extended as 100% grant-in-aid, released in two instalments:

The exact grant for a project depends on its scope and budget as sanctioned by the approving committee.

How to apply for the Research & Development Scheme

1. Prepare a project proposal describing the survey, study, seminar or workshop — its objectives, methodology, duration and budget.
2. Ensure your organisation is an eligible registered body and gather the registration certificate, credentials and bank/PAN details.
3. NGOs apply through the NGO Portal; government agencies can apply online or offline as per the guidelines.
4. The proposal is examined by a committee chaired by the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts).
5. On sanction, the first instalment (advance) is released to the organisation; the balance follows after the work is completed and the report is verified.

How this fits within NHDP

The National Handicrafts Development Programme bundles several components, for marketing, skilling, infrastructure, direct benefit to artisans and research. The Research & Development Scheme is the evidence-generating component: it produces the surveys, studies and documentation that inform the rest of the programme. Because it funds institutions rather than artisans, it is often confused with artisan-facing schemes; the distinction matters when deciding where to apply.

Help and where to check

• Portal: handicrafts.gov.in and the NGO Portal for online applications
• Office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles, New Delhi, administers the scheme
• Regional handicrafts offices can guide eligible organisations on proposals

Because grants go only to registered organisations, individual artisans should be wary of anyone offering a personal "R&D grant" under this scheme.

How to check your application status

Because this grant goes to a registered organisation and not an individual, there is no single-window "track my application" tracker of the kind artisan-facing schemes offer. Applicants have to follow up through the channel they applied on.

• NGOs that applied through the NGO Portal (ngo.india.gov.in / NGO-DARPAN linked portal): log in with the credentials used at submission and check the proposal's status in the applicant dashboard. The portal shows whether the proposal is pending, under committee review, sanctioned or returned for clarification.
• Government agencies that applied online via handicrafts.gov.in: log in to the portal account used for submission to see the current stage of the proposal.
• Government agencies that applied offline: status has to be confirmed by writing to, or calling, the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), quoting the proposal reference number, organisation name and date of submission.
• After sanction: once a proposal is approved, follow up on release of the first instalment through the same portal login or with the sanctioning office, since the advance (80% for government agencies, 50% for NGOs) is credited to the organisation's bank account only after sanction paperwork is complete.
• After project completion: the balance instalment is released only once the completion report is submitted and verified, so an organisation should track that its report, utilisation certificate and supporting records have actually reached the office, not assume the balance is automatic.

Keep the proposal reference number, the name of the official or committee correspondence, and copies of everything submitted, since follow-up on grant-in-aid proposals is largely manual and record-based rather than tracked automatically online.

Common reasons for rejection

• Applicant is an individual, not a registered organisation. The scheme funds institutions only. A proposal filed by an individual artisan or an individual researcher, even one with strong credentials, is rejected outright because it does not meet the basic eligibility condition. Fix: apply through, or partner with, an eligible registered institution, NGO, Producer/Section-8 company, educational body or government agency.
• Registration or legal status is missing or unclear. If the organisation registration certificate is absent, expired, or does not clearly show the entity type (society, Section-8 company, Producer Company, local body, etc.), the committee cannot verify eligibility. Fix: attach a current, valid registration certificate that matches the organisation's legal name used in the proposal.
• Proposal lacks a clear objective, methodology or budget. Vague proposals that do not specify what will be surveyed or studied, how the work will be carried out, its timeline, or a line-item budget are weak candidates for a project-based grant. Fix: write the proposal as a structured project document: objective, methodology, deliverables, duration (within the 3-12 month study window or the roughly one-day seminar/workshop norm) and a detailed budget.
• No demonstrated relevance to crafts or artisans, or no track record. A proposal that does not clearly connect to handicrafts, artisans or the crafts sector, or comes from an organisation with no prior work or credentials in research or the handicrafts field, is harder for the committee to justify funding. Fix: state the craft, cluster, region or issue the study addresses, and include any past work or expertise the organisation brings.
• Bank and PAN details incomplete or mismatched. Since the grant is released directly to the organisation's account, incorrect, incomplete, or mismatched bank and PAN details (not matching the registered organisation's name) delay or block release even after a proposal is technically approved. Fix: submit bank account details and PAN exactly as registered in the organisation's name, not an individual office-bearer's account.
• Duration or scope outside the scheme's norms without justification. Proposing a study far longer than 12 months, or a seminar/workshop beyond the usual one-day format, without seeking or securing special approval, invites rejection or a request to revise. Fix: keep the proposed duration within the standard ranges, or explicitly justify and request special approval for an exception before submission.
• Applying through the wrong channel. NGOs are expected to apply via the NGO Portal; government agencies have the choice of online or offline. Sending an NGO proposal through the wrong channel, or an incomplete offline submission by a government agency, can delay or derail the proposal reaching the committee. Fix: confirm the correct application channel for the applicant type before submission.