Dr. V. Vishwanathan
Velayudhan

Born into a traditional artisan family and having personally experienced poverty, social exclusion and economic hardship, Dr. Velayudhan transformed his lived experience into a lifelong mission of public service.

Since the early 1980s, he has worked without interruption for the recognition, dignity, livelihood security, social protection and policy representation of artisans, craftspeople, construction workers and other marginalized occupational communities across India.

His contribution extends well beyond community welfare into institution-building, grassroots mobilization, policy advocacy and national-level representation of artisan interests.

In 2002, he played a leading role in establishing Chhattisgarh Shri Vishwakarma Mahasangh, which emerged as an important platform for promoting artisan welfare, community mobilization and collective empowerment.

In 2019, he founded the Vanshanugat & Other Artisan Development Foundation (VADF), a national institution dedicated to collective entrepreneurship, skill preservation, livelihood enhancement, market access and socio-economic advancement of traditional artisans.

In recognition of his extensive field experience and decades of contribution to artisan welfare, Dr. Velayudhan was selected as one of the national-level experts consulted by the Ministry of MSME in relation to PM Vishwakarma initiatives.

He was subsequently nominated as a Non-Official Member representing artisans in the National Steering Committee associated with PM Vishwakarma, contributing directly to discussions on artisan welfare, entrepreneurship and implementation support mechanisms.

Over more than four decades his work has consistently emphasized inclusion, supporting women artisans, widows, persons with disabilities, transgender individuals, nomadic communities and economically disadvantaged artisan families.

• Awareness and collective identity among hereditary artisan communities across multiple states
• Placement of artisan welfare into policy discussions at state and national levels
• Institutional platforms — Mahasangh, VADF and NAC — for sustained community representation
• Preservation of traditional knowledge systems and dignity of artisanal labour
• Advocacy for vulnerable and excluded sections within the artisan ecosystem

Dr. Velayudhan's vision rests on a single conviction: India's artisanal heritage is a national asset that requires protection, promotion and transmission.

Traditional skills are not vestiges of the past — they are sustainable livelihoods, a cultural inheritance and a foundation for self-reliant village ecosystems contributing to Viksit Bharat 2047.

His commitment to humanitarian values is reflected in his decision to donate his eyes and body after death for medical and social purposes — a lifelong philosophy of service that extends beyond personal continuity.