The unprecedented situation in our country due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has affected all segments of our society. The livelihoods of the poor and marginalised communities have been seriously impacted and the tribals are some of the worst affected in these trying times.

To ease the burden of the tribal artisans during such troubled times, TRIFED, Ministry of Tribal Affairs has initiated several immediate initiatives to re-energise the lagging economic activity for sustaining the livelihood development of tribals.

Addressing a video Conference to launch the Trifed Digital Platforms, Arjun Munda, Union Minister for Tribal Affairs said that the Team of “Trifed Warriors” will take Tribal Commerce based on forest produces, handlooms & handicrafts to a new high for transforming tribal lives and livelihoods. He stated that with more and more people going online to meet their various needs – be it for business operations, shopping and communication, an important strategic push has been to adopt an all-encompassing digitisation drive to map and link its village-based tribal producers to the national and international markets setting up state of art e- platforms benchmarked to international standards.

Expressing his hearty appreciation at the occasion, Arjun Munda, the Union Minister of Tribal Affairs first inaugurated the TRIBES India store on Government eMarketplace which can now help in facilitating purchases by Government and then the revamped website (https://trifed.tribal.gov.in/), which has all relevant details about the schemes and initiatives underway to the benefit of tribal communities.

Munda opined that TRIFED plays a major role in connecting the tribals to the mainstream and congratulated the team for their two major initiatives being launched today. Using nuggets from philosophy and management principles and real-life examples, he shared his views on the road ahead for the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and “the TRIFED Warriors” as they set about in their task to include the tribal communities in the mainstream. He urged them to focus on extracting and utilising the wealth of information and knowledge that the tribal communities have, especially with regard to the jungle, and how that can be used to not just benefit their community but also be of greater help to the country and people in these troubled times.

Rajeev Kandpal, JS& CFO, GeM pointed out that social inclusion was a major focus in GeM and that niche supplier segments such as start-ups, rural entrepreneurs, tribal entrepreneurs, women, tribals have been encouraged. Taking the example of the newly-inaugurated Rural Development store, which has generated a positive response,