As a part of its continued endeavour to support and sustain tribal incomes and livelihoods, TRIFED, Ministry of Tribal Affairs has once again collaborated with Ministry of Defence to supply handmade Pankhas to eminent dignitaries and guests who will participate in the Independence Day celebrations. This is the third year of this collaboration.
Sourced from tribal artisans across the country from States such as Rajasthan, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Gujarat and Jharkhand, these Pankhas are eco-friendly and have been made out of natural, organic materials. As a Memorabilia, these Pankhas help revive memories of the past when these were an integral part of Indian households and offered comfort in the scorching heat.
The Tribes India Pankhas are also available for sale in TRIBES India retail outlets across the country and also on its e-commerce platform (www.tribesindia.com).
In its mission to empower the downtrodden tribal people, by promoting the economic welfare of their communities across India (through development of marketing and the sustained upgradation of their skills), TRIFED, as the national nodal agency for tribal welfare, started the procurement and marketing of tribal art and craft items through its network of retail outlets called Tribes India.From a single flagship store at 9 Mahadeo Road, New Delhi in 1999, there are now 121 retail outlets across India.
The past few months have seen TRIFED treble its efforts to bring the rehabilitate the affected tribal people (artisans and forest dwellers) who have lost their livelihoods and jobs. This noble initiative of gifting handcrafted Pankhas sourced from tribal artisans is one such example of its efforts.
Due to the suddenness of the pandemic overtaking our lives and the immediate lockdown, stocks by tribal artisans worth Rs 100 crores were lying unsold. In order to ensure that these stocks of tribal artisans are sold, TRIFED has launched an aggressive drive to sell these goods online through its Tribes India website (www.tribesindia.com) and also other retail platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart and GeM.
At the strategy level is TRIFED’s about-to-be-launched exclusive e-marketplace for tribal producers – forest dwellers and artisans, to facilitate the purchase of MFPs, handicrafts and handlooms online. The Tribes India E-Mart platform will be an omni-channel facility for the tribals to sell their goods to a large national and international audience in an e-marketplace through their own e-shop. TRIFED is in the process of onboarding approximately 5 lakh tribal producers across the country and sourcing their natural produce, handcrafted goods. The Pankhas being supplied to Ministry of Defence will also be available at this e-marketplace.
The collaboration is yet another effort in TRIFED’s cap as it continues working towards tribal upliftment. All are invited to take a look at the available Pankhas and it is sure to bring back memories of childhood when these Pankhas were a permanent fixture in every household.Team TRIFED, M/o Tribal Affairs wishes everyone on India’s 74th Independence Day!
