Solar Charkha Mission, Background, Objective, Features, Launch Date

The Solar Charkha Mission is an enterprise-driven scheme launched in June 2018 by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME). The mission aims to generate sustainable rural employment by promoting solar powered charkhas in cluster mode. 

Solar Charkha Mission Background 

Solar Charkha Mission is inspired from the success of the pilot Solar Charkha project started in 2016 at Khanwa village in Nawada district of Bihar. The pilot project introduced solar-powered charkhas to rural artisans and benefitted around 1,180 spinners and weavers, showing that solar-powered charkhas could increase productivity, reduce electricity costs, and create sustainable employment in villages.

The Government of India decided to scale up the model at the national level and approved the establishment of 50 Solar Charkha Clusters across different states with a total budget of ₹550 crore. 

Solar Charkha Cluster

A Solar Charkha Cluster is a group of villages organized under the Solar Charkha Mission where spinners, weavers, stitchers, and other artisans work together using solar-powered charkhas and looms.

Each cluster typically includes 200 to 2,000 beneficiaries within a defined geographical area and is supported with common infrastructure, training, and financial assistance. Each spinner will be given two charkhas of 10 spindles each.

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Solar Charkha Mission Aims and Objectives 

The aims and objectives of Mission Solar Charkha are:

• To ensure inclusive growth by generation of employment, especially for women and youth and sustainable development through solar charkha clusters in rural areas.
• To boost the rural economy and help in arresting migration from rural to urban areas.
• To leverage low-cost, innovative technologies and processes for substance.

Solar Charkha Mission Features 

• Solar Charkha Mission is a Central Sector Scheme.
• It was launched by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in 2018.
• The scheme is implemented through the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC).
• The scheme aims to create nearly one lakh direct employment opportunities, especially for women and youth in rural areas, by promoting solar-powered spinning and weaving under cluster-based village industries.

It is an enterprise-driven scheme – no direct subsidy is given to individual artisans. Instead, the government provides a subsidy of up to ₹9.60 crore per cluster to the implementing or promoting agency for purchasing solar charkhas, looms, and related infrastructure.