Pravir Krishna, Managing Director, TRIFEF updated the media on the completion of ‘100 days of Pradhan Mantri Van DhanYojana (PMVDY)’, a national programme driven by TRIFED under Ministry of Tribal Affairs, aimed at empowering tribals all over the country to make them entrepreneurs. Addressing at an event to celebrate ‘100 days of PMVDY’ and on forging an association of Tribes India with Global Designer RituBeriorganized by TRIFED here today, he said that PMVDY is a Market Linked Tribal Entrepreneurship Development Program for forming clusters of tribal Self Help Groups and strengthening them into Tribal Producer Companies. It has been launched with participation from 27 States of the Country. During the short period after initiation of sanctioning the Van Dhan program on 27 Aug 2019, proposals for establishing 799 VDVKs from 24 States have been received and TRIFED has sanctioned 676 Van DhanVikasKendras (VDVKs) in 18 States covering 2,00,740 beneficiaries for a sanctioned amount of Rs. 99.81 Cr.The event commenced with a traditional welcome of Smt. MeenakshiLekhi, Member of Parliament; and Smt. RituBeri, global fashion designer by Naga Dancers who dazzled everyone with their splendid performance.Every State will establish 2 demo units from their VDVKs and currently, 11 States have identified 21 demo units that will be established by Dec 2019. TRIFED has also conducted two National level advocacy workshops and 5 State level advocacy workshops with participations from Chief Ministers, Ministers, Principal Secretaries, representatives from State Nodal Departments, Implementing Agencies, Mentoring Organizations, Tribal SHG members etc. for sensitizing them about the Van Dhan program and assisting them in preparation of State Van Dhan plan for establishing VDVKs. TRIFED is also developing a robust web-based IT platform and mobile application for data collection, tracking, and monitoring of all the activities under PMVDY.
TRIFED will establish 3000 VDVKs each year over the next five years to cover 45 lakhs tribal households and around 2 crore tribal beneficiaries under the program are aimed to be helped. It shall leverage its long standing strengths in market development for tribal handicrafts and handlooms through its network of 117 TRIBES India outlets and engage with other marketing players for developing a nation-wide retail network for marketing of MFP value added products.TRIFED has also partnered with UNICEF for promoting Van Dhan program through the tribal Culture, Craft, Cuisine and Commerce.This was followed by an announcement regarding Tribes India’s association with Ms. RituBeri. A partnership of one of India’s finest designers with the nation’s biggest promoter of tribal crafts and culture has immense potential. By partnering with TRIFED as the Chief Design Consultant of Tribes India, Ms. Beri will help make Tribes India a household name with her demonstrated and well-established expertise in the fashion world.Owing to her experience of working with different countries across the globe, Ms Beri knows how to adapt to a region's culture and touch the hearts of the locals. This particular skill set of hers coupled with her remarkable sense of fashion, will take Tribes India to the next level, such that people all over India and the world feel more connected with the magnificent tribal culture and art forms.TRIFED’s initiative #GoTribal with Tribes India will now find echo and resonance all over the country and the world under the aegis of Ms Beri.Speaking to the gathering, Ms. Beri expressed her enthusiasm for working closely with Tribes India and establishing a global footprint for the world-class products handcrafted by over 1,50,000 tribal artisans. Smt. MeenakshiLekhi then addressed the gathering, extolling the marketing initiatives of TRIFED via their retail brand Tribes India, also pointing out the tremendous success of the several National Tribal Festivals ‘AadiMahotsavs’ that TRIFED organizes all over the country.Most recently, TRIFED organised Delhi’s annual AadiMahotsav for a fortnight from 16th – 30th November 2019 at DilliHaat which was a vibrant conglomeration of over 1,000 tribal artisans and artists drawn from over 24 states of the country. These master craftsmen showcased their skills and world-class products to a star-struck Delhi audience who lapped them up rewarding the artisans with transactions tipping over a record sum of Rs. 20 Crore in merely a fortnight.