Under India's National Bamboo Mission (NBM), Kerala artisans setting up bamboo ply or flooring units can claim a capital investment subsidy of 50% for general category beneficiaries, or 60% for hill district residents, SC/ST applicants, and women artisans, as a non-repayable government grant. For a bamboo processing unit in Wayanad with a project cost of Rs 20 lakh, that means Rs 12 lakh comes from the government and does not need to be repaid.

The National Livestock Mission (NLM) offers Kerala farmers a 50% capital subsidy to set up poultry farms and goat or sheep rearing units, with applications processed through the nlm.udyamimitra.in portal and implemented locally via the Kerala Livestock Development Board (KLDB). For livestock entrepreneurs in Wayanad and Palakkad, the NLM subsidy reduces the upfront capital burden significantly, but the remaining 50% still needs to be arranged before a project can start.

PMMSY provides 60% to 75% capital subsidy for aquaculture projects in Lakshadweep, covering deep-sea tuna fishing vessels, seaweed cultivation clusters, and ornamental fish breeding units. The remaining 25% to 40% is the applicant's margin money, which can be financed through institutional credit.

The Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) is a key initiative from the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MoMSME) designed to revitalize heritage crafts. Instead of offering direct cash handouts to individual creators, the program infuses capital into organized artisan collectives. It provides substantial funding, offering grants up to INR 5 crore for regular clusters and scaling up to INR 8 crore for larger, major clusters.

Handloom and textile units in Aalo (West Siang district, Arunachal Pradesh) can claim subsidies of up to 90% on ZED certification costs under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises' Zero Defect Zero Effect scheme, with the North Eastern Region top-up bringing the subsidy beyond the standard national rate. Women-owned units across Arunachal Pradesh receive 100% free ZED certification at all three levels. For a micro enterprise in Aalo starting at Bronze level, the INR 10,000 joining reward effectively covers the entire certification fee. Before the assessment, most units need to invest in quality documentation, equipment calibration, or process improvements. IIFL Finance offers business loans for handloom and textile units undertaking these pre-certification investments. For unit owners holding gold assets, a Gold Loan from IIFL Finance may also serve as an alternative financing option, without requiring business financials, subject to applicable eligibility criteria, documentation requirements, and lender policies. 

The MSME Sustainable (ZED) Certification Scheme gives Kerala manufacturing businesses a structured route to quality and environmental certification, backed by subsidies of up to 80% on certification costs for micro enterprises, with an additional 85% CGTMSE guarantee coverage unlocked on achieving the certificate. For food processing units and coir manufacturers in Kochi and across Kerala, the scheme addresses a practical business need: formal quality credentials that open doors to institutional buyers, export markets, and preferential credit. Setting up for ZED assessment often means investing in process documentation, equipment calibration, and quality systems before the assessor visit. IIFL Finance provides business loans for manufacturing units that need to fund these pre-certification improvements, as well as Gold Loans for unit owners who want faster access to funds without producing business financials.

Mizoram manufacturing units, including spice grinding operations and essential oil extraction businesses in Saiha and Lunglei, can access subsidies of up to 95% on ZED certification costs under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises' Zero Defect Zero Effect scheme. For a micro enterprise in Mizoram, the Bronze-level certification fee of INR 10,000 can effectively drop to zero after the INR 10,000 joining reward is applied. The process of achieving that certification, however, often requires investing in process upgrades, equipment calibration, or quality documentation before the assessor visits. That is where having the right funding in place from the outset matters. IIFL Finance offers business loans that can cover pre-certification upgrade costs, and for unit owners holding gold assets, a Gold Loan from IIFL Finance is a quicker option requiring only the gold and a photo ID to access funds.

The Scheme for Capacity Building in the Textile Sector (SAMARTH) is designed to strengthen workforce development across India's textile and apparel industry. Under the scheme, approved training partners and implementing agencies can receive reimbursement for eligible training costs after meeting prescribed training and assessment requirements. While this support can reduce the long-term cost of skill development, it also means that participating manufacturers often need to invest in training infrastructure and operational expenses before reimbursements are received.

SFURTI is a Ministry of MSME scheme that funds traditional industry clusters across India. In Arunachal Pradesh, bead and jewelry artisans in Itanagar can form a heritage cluster under SFURTI and receive grants up to Rs 5 crore for shared facilities and market linkages. TRIFED is an active Nodal Agency for tribal artisan clusters in the state.

Conventional industries like Bell Metal, Coir, Bamboo Arts & Crafts, etc., still provide livelihood to numerous people of Kerala. But there are many problems faced by artisans, like old and dilapidated infrastructure, lack of modern technology, design limitations, and market outreach problems. In order to solve these problems, SFURTI (Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries) was started by the Government of India as a Cluster Development Scheme under the Ministry of MSME.