Varanasi: Ahead of Diwali, 160 potter families in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency Varanasi received modern electric potter’s wheels under the Potter Empowerment Programme of the Village Industries Development Scheme.The wheels were distributed by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) chairman Manoj Goel at an event held at the historic Namo Ghat on Wednesday afternoon.The initiative aims to combine traditional pottery skills with modern technology and improve the livelihoods of artisan families. Electric wheels will enable potters to make more earthen lamps, utensils and other pottery products in less time and with less physical effort, helping boost productivity, income and self-employment opportunities.Addressing the gathering, Goel said Kashi, the city of Baba Vishwanath, was not merely a city but a symbol of India’s civilisation, culture and spiritual consciousness. Its soil, he said, carried centuries-old traditions and the priceless skills of its artisans.He said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, Kashi was witnessing development and modernisation. While Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham was attracting global attention, modern infrastructure, industries and self-employment opportunities were transforming the lives of ordinary families, he added.Goel said rural artisans had an important role in realising the Prime Minister’s vision of a developed and self-reliant India. He described the distribution of electric wheels as an effort to open new opportunities for 160 potter families rather than merely provide them with equipment.“When an earthen lamp is lit in a home, it carries the hard work, hopes and dreams of a potter family. That lamp becomes a means for children’s education, family livelihood and household prosperity. Our effort is to give respect to this hard work and increase the income of potter families,” he said.Goel said the Potter Empowerment Scheme was helping traditional artisans adopt modern technology and respond to changing market demands. He expressed hope that potters in Kashi would expand beyond traditional lamp-making and establish themselves as entrepreneurs in modern pottery products.He urged artisans to adopt new designs, improve product quality and use digital platforms to reach wider markets, so that Kashi’s earthen lamps and pottery products could find markets across India and abroad.Goel said the khadi and village industries sector had emerged as an important pillar of the rural economy and self-employment under the Prime Minister’s leadership. Total sales in the sector reached nearly Rs 1.87 lakh crore in the financial year 2025-26, driven by the efforts of artisans, rural entrepreneurs and women’s self-help groups, he said. The sector provides employment and livelihoods to more than two crore people, while KVIC has set a target of taking sales beyond Rs 2.51 lakh crore.Referring to KVIC’s Varanasi Divisional Office, Goel said employment and self-employment opportunities were being expanded through khadi and village industries across Purvanchal. The office covers 12 districts and has 147 registered khadi institutions. During 2025-26, khadi activities were promoted through 111 budgeted institutions. A total of 14,804 registered artisans are associated with these institutions, while 572 khadi sales centres operate in the region.Under the Village Industries Development Scheme, thousands of artisans received modern equipment and toolkits between 2021-22 and 2025-26. These included 2,880 electric potter’s wheels, 3,700 bee boxes, footwear manufacturing and repair tools, incense-stick machines, woodcraft toolkits and other equipment.Goel urged citizens to take the Prime Minister’s calls for “Vocal for Local” and “Har Ghar Swadeshi, Ghar-Ghar Swadeshi” to every household. He appealed to people to light their homes with earthen lamps made by local potters and give priority to khadi and village industry products during festive shopping.
