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New Delhi : 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 including 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 they used to be 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).

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, according to a PIB release.

Due to the suddenness of the pandemic overtaking our lives and the immediate lockdown, stocks by tribal artisans worth Rs 100 crore 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.