New Delhi, March 19 The government is firmly working towards bridging the gap between tribal producers and the market, Ranjana Chopra, Secretary of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, said on Wednesday while inaugurating the 10-day Bharat Tribes Fest 2026 at Sundar Nursery here.
The festival is being organized by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs in association with the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED).
A business conclave, organized parallelly, is focused on discussing market linkages and promoting the products and services of tribal entrepreneurs, officials said.
They added that for another 10 days, tribal groups from various parts of the country will put up a variety of products from their regions for visitors and buyers to purchase.
"Through initiatives like the Bharat Tribes Fest and this Business Conclave, which will be held for over the next 10 days, we are hoping to overcome certain constraints and also build relationships that will help us to create pathways between the tribal producers and the market," Chopra said while delivering the keynote.
"We are very confident that this will not only help us increase demand and supply from tribal areas, but we are also hopeful that it will help us achieve the ultimate goal and objective of seeing an increase in the income of tribal households," she added.
The tribal communities will also have to be given their due share and they will also have to play their part and ensure that they are able to contribute to this lofty ideal, she said.
Elaborating on the various initiatives taken by the ministry, Chopra cited the restructuring of Aadi Mahotsav to broaden the scope and bring celebration, craft and market linkage on one platform.
Underlining the government's deep commitment to strengthening tribal livelihoods, Anand Prakash Pandey, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, said that the Business Conclave, with more than 50 speakers and 600 delegates, will strengthen tribal livelihoods.
"The Government of India remains deeply committed to strengthening tribal livelihoods, and that is why we are organizing this Business Conclave as a knowledge platform where we will discuss, share ideas, and develop some SOPs and think processes for further commitment towards tribal growth," Pandey said.