New Charkha-Loom Scheme

What is the New Charkha-Loom Scheme?

New Charkha-Loom Scheme is a Gujarat state equipment-subsidy scheme run by the Commissioner of Cottage and Rural Industries under the Industries and Mines Department. The scheme puts modern spinning and weaving equipment into the hands of registered khadi spinners and weavers by paying 65 per cent of the cost of a new Amber Charkha or a new loom.

The reference costings published for the scheme are Rs 13,000 for an Amber Charkha and Rs 30,000 for a loom. At 65 per cent, the state's share works out to roughly Rs 8,450 on a charkha and Rs 19,500 on a loom. The beneficiary or the khadi institution meets the remaining 35 per cent.

The Amber Charkha is the multi-spindle upgrade over the traditional single-spindle charkha, and it is the reason the scheme exists. A spinner on an Amber Charkha produces substantially more yarn per working day than one on a traditional charkha, which is what turns khadi spinning from a supplementary occupation into something closer to a full wage. The loom component does the same on the weaving side. New Charkha-Loom Scheme is therefore a productivity scheme rather than a welfare transfer. The money buys a machine, not an allowance.

New Charkha-Loom Scheme sits within the same cottage-industry stable as the state's handloom schemes (Hathshali Yojanao and Hathshali Sadhan Vikas Yojana), the Craft Business Development Centre programme, and the centrally sponsored National Handloom Development Programme and Mahatma Gandhi Bunkar Bima Yojana, all of which are administered from cottage.gujarat.gov.in.

Who is eligible for the New Charkha-Loom Scheme?

You can benefit if:

• You are a spinner or weaver registered with a khadi or polyvastra institution operating in Gujarat.
• You are a resident of Gujarat.
• You need a new Amber Charkha or a new loom for khadi or polyvastra production.
• Your institution is willing to route the proposal, since the delivery channel runs through the institution.

You are not eligible if:

• You are an unattached individual weaver with no registration through a khadi or polyvastra institution. This is the single most common reason people find they cannot proceed.
• You are seeking powerloom equipment. The scheme covers the Amber Charkha and handloom used in khadi and polyvastra production.
• You are asking for repair or refurbishment of existing equipment rather than a new machine.
• You have already received a charkha or loom under this scheme and are seeking a second unit within the same cycle.
• You are a firm or trading business rather than a working spinner or weaver.

What does the 65 per cent actually cover?

Two points matter here. First, the percentage is applied to the notified reference cost, not to whatever a supplier quotes. If a supplier bills more than the reference cost, the excess is the beneficiary's to bear. Second, the assistance is usually settled against the equipment supply rather than paid out as free cash, so a beneficiary should expect a machine plus a bill, not a bank credit followed by an open shopping trip.

How to apply for the New Charkha-Loom Scheme

1. Confirm your registration with the khadi or polyvastra institution you spin or weave for. Ask them for written confirmation of your registration, as this is the document that unlocks the scheme.
2. Ask the institution to raise the proposal. Institutions consolidate requirements for their spinners and weavers rather than sending individual letters, so the practical first step is to get your name onto that list.
3. Collect your document set — Aadhaar, Gujarat residence proof, bank passbook, and the supplier quotation for the charkha or loom.
4. Submit through the District Industries Centre for your district. The DIC is the office that verifies the proposal and processes the state's share.
5. Check e-Kutir at e-kutir.gujarat.gov.in. Gujarat is progressively moving cottage industry schemes onto this portal, where you register, update your profile, apply and submit online. If the scheme is live there for the current cycle, apply through the portal and keep the acknowledgement.
6. Take delivery and sign the receipt. Keep a copy of the invoice and the delivery acknowledgement; these are what you will need if a warranty or follow-up question arises later.

How do I check the status of my request?

New Charkha-Loom Scheme has no dedicated public status tracker. Track it in two places instead. First, with the khadi or polyvastra institution that raised the proposal, since they hold the consolidated list and know where their batch has reached. Second, with the District Industries Centre, quoting the date and reference of the institution's submission. Where the scheme has been enabled on e-Kutir, the portal login shows the stage of an application directly.

Why requests get rejected, and how to fix them

• No institutional registration. Register with a khadi or polyvastra institution first; there is no direct individual route.
• Equipment outside scope. Powerloom or non-khadi machinery does not qualify. Handloom and khadi-related programmes are separate line items on cottage.gujarat.gov.in.
• Quotation far above the reference cost. Get a quotation aligned to the notified cost, or be prepared to pay the entire excess yourself.
• Incomplete identity or residence proof. Aadhaar and a Gujarat residence document are basic and are the most frequent cause of a file being returned unprocessed.
• Duplicate benefit. A spinner who already holds a subsidised charkha from this scheme will normally not be issued a second one in the same cycle.

Where do I get help?

• Commissioner of Cottage and Rural Industries: 079-23259591
• Email: compcr@gujarat.gov.in
• Helpdesk numbers published on cottage.gujarat.gov.in: 9909926180 and 9909926280
• District Industries Centre for your district
• e-Kutir portal: e-kutir.gujarat.gov.in, which also publishes a citizen help manual as a downloadable PDF and offers a mobile application

A note on verification. The Commissioner of Cottage and Rural Industries publishes the Government Resolution and application form for each of its schemes on cottage.gujarat.gov.in. Because equipment reference costs and assistance percentages are revised from time to time through fresh GRs, confirm the current Rs 13,000 and Rs 30,000 costings and the 65 per cent rate against the latest GR on that site before committing your own 35 per cent share. No agent can charge a fee to place your name on an institution's list.