Shilp Samagam Mela 2026 at Mysuru Features 83 Stalls

The Shilp Samagam Mela 2026, a nine day craft fair of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, is being held at the Mysuru Dasara Exhibition Grounds in Karnataka. It opened on 11 October and closes on 19 October, a Monday. Union Secretary of the Ministry Sudhansh Pant is visiting the fair and reviewing the schemes and programmes of the Ministry at Mysuru.

The numbers to remember

The fair has 83 stalls in all. Of these, 80 have been given to artisans, and 37 of those artisans are women. Craftspeople from 12 States and Union Territories are taking part, among them Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan, Puducherry, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.

Who organises it

Three national corporations under the Ministry run the fair together: the National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation, the National Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation and the National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation. They also lend money to artisans and other eligible beneficiaries. The fair is meant for artisans drawn from the Scheduled Castes, the Other Backward Classes and Safai Karamcharis.

What is on sale

The stalls carry handicrafts, handloom sarees, spices, pickles, incense sticks, honey products, block printed goods, leather articles, wooden toys, bags and purses, terracotta ware, artificial jewellery, rosewood wall hangings and bed and cushion covers, besides food stalls serving local dishes.

The support given and the record so far

• Artisans get a free stall and help with travel, daily allowance, carriage of goods and meals.
• The Ministry has held these fairs since 2022 and 975 artisans have gained from the 13 fairs held so far.
• The Mysuru fair is the first Shilp Samagam Mela of the financial year 2026-27.

What comes next

More fairs are planned at Guwahati from 21 to 28 October 2026, and later at Dilli Haat in New Delhi, at Jodhpur and at Lucknow. The Ministry will also take part in the India International Trade Fair 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, from 14 to 27 November 2026, and in the Surajkund Mela in February 2027. A separate initiative, BHARAT TULIP, or Traditional Artisans Upliftment Livelihood Programme, is being promoted to sell the work of these artisans on digital platforms in India and abroad.