KVIC`s Honey Mission helps distribute 2.46 lakh bee boxes, colonies
The Khadi and Village Industries Commission’s Honey Mission and related schemes have helped distribute around 2.46 lakh bee boxes and bee colonies nationwide between 2017–18 and 2025–26, yielding roughly 5,500 metric tonnes of honey in 2025–26, an official statement said on Monday.
The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), is supporting this transformation through training, financial assistance, improved tools and technology, market support and other interventions.
From scientific beekeeping and value-added honey products to vetiver-based enterprises and banana-fibre products, rural entrepreneurs are demonstrating how local knowledge can be transformed into viable businesses and livelihood opportunities.
Through initiatives such as the Khadi Vikas Yojana (KVY), Gramodyog Vikas Yojana (GVY) and the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), traditional skills are being strengthened with modern enterprise capabilities, enabling artisans and rural entrepreneurs to create sustainable livelihoods, the statement from Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises said.
Under Honey Mission, beneficiaries receive training along with bee boxes, live bee colonies and related toolkits, enabling them to take up beekeeping and gradually build it into a source of income.
Indian honey bees are cultivated by beekeepers across several States, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha and the North-Eastern States.
The ministry highlighted individual success stories whereupon in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, T. Ajin has established Marthandam Honey Products that produces AGMARK-certified honey and honey blended with dry fruits, adding value to traditional beekeeping.
Ajin also trains farmers, particularly those from economically weaker sections and SC/ST communities, in modern beekeeping practices. He has also participated in state, regional and district-level programmes, besides sharing his knowledge through All India Radio and Doordarshan.
Another entrepreneur M. Murugesan converted banana fibre into attractive and useful fancy articles, and his work has earned him Central and State government awards, the statement noted.
