‘Heritage Artisan Cooperatives’

The Ministry of Cooperation, citing information from Odisha’s Directorate of Handicrafts, reports that 756 Handicraft Cooperative Societies (HCSs) are registered in Puri district. The National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) provides financial assistance for infrastructure, marketing, capacity‑building and digital‑literacy programmes to artisan cooperatives nationwide, including those in Puri. As of 30 June 2026, NCDC has disbursed ₹3,352.03 crore for cooperative development in Odisha and ₹3.78 crore in Puri district, supporting 17 functional HCSs. An integrated RCS digital portal has been launched in Odisha to facilitate digital onboarding and e‑commerce integration for artisans.