PTP-NER: The Gateway to a Global Outreach

EN Explains

As a succession to the Central Sector Scheme introduced in April 2023, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs launched the second phase of "Marketing and Logistics Development Promotion of Tribal Products in the North-Eastern Region" (PTP-NER) on September 21, 2023. This initiative promises robust and sustainable livelihood opportunities for tribal artisans inhabiting the eight North-Eastern States of the India. This is but a significant step in the path of socio-economic elevation of the tribal communities of the nation, especially the ones in focus for this initiative, which are Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim.

In this edition of the EN Explains series, let's look at the various facets of the scheme and how it has served as an earnest effort in bringing the target groups to the foreground.

The Vision: Launched by Union Minister of Tribal Affairs, Shri Arjun Munda on the 18th of April 2023 in Imphal, Manipur, the objective of this endeavour is to tap onto the massive potential of the North-Eastern tribal population, making it possible for tribal artisans to exhibit their vast cultural abundance through skill enhancement, meanwhile also enabling them to leverage the opportunity to augment their incomes and look beyond mere subsistence. With the provision of backward and forward integration to expand production capacity and publicity, the scheme aids the artisans in all respects, i.e., from assistance with incubation, optimisation of expertise, aggregation and entrepreneurship building to sourcing and devising marketing mechanisms, transit and advertising, also roping in technology to enhance the process.

The Mission: During the first phase of the project PTP-NER 1.0, tribal craftspeople were enlisted as part of the initiative through the 64 Tribal Artisan empanelment Melas (TAeMs) that were held district-wide from April 18- May 20, 2023. In partnership with state administrations and the Department of Posts, the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Ltd (TRIFED), under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, along with North-Eastern Handicrafts and Hand-looms Development Corporation (NEHHDC), under Ministry of Development of North-Eastern Regions (DoNER),  visited a total of 38 districts  across the eight states. Artisans from these regions were invited to the platform to display their products, which could include naturals produces as well as art and craft items. With merchandising teams deployed in each mela, new artisans and novel products were identified and the same were sourced directly to ensure quality and authenticity.  TRIFED and NEHHDC were able to achieve a commendable outreach within the tribal communities, i.e., 2526 artisans from 44 tribes, as part of these visits. This stunning participation saw 1056 people gaining empanelment and the remaining 1465 being inducted in training capsules to fine-tune their expertise. The accomplishment extends further with an outstanding procurement of 3115 products, which includes diverse products such as articles fashioned out of bamboo, textiles, forest produce  jewellery, pottery, paintings, forest produce, to name a few. These events also acted as a medium to inform the communities about the benefits of the scheme and how it will help their products reach a wider audience in the longer run. 

The teams of TRIFED and NEHHDC, kick-started the second segment of this pivotal programme, PTP-NER 2.0  scheduled to run from 21st September through 10th November 2023, with the primary goal of reaching out to 29 others districts in the Northern Eastern States and help tribal artisans unlock their potential to showcase their rich cultural heritage in the ever evolving market sphere. Looking to achieve a multidi-mensional goal, the dedicated teams from TRIFED and NEHHDC will conduct the Tribal Artisans Empanelment Melas in these regions to facilitate production capacity, and also aid the stakeholders introduce their products in the marketplace through smart and attractive packing. This is intended to  improve the global value chain of the sourced tribal products and also provide the tribal communities a platform to sustain themselves financially.

The scheme undoubtedly emerges as an assurance to the tribal communities by way of promoting yet preserving their exclusive craftsmanship and products, whilst also paving a way for the artisans to enter the mainstream markets.

About TRIFED: Tribal Cooperative Marketing Develop-ment Federation of India Ltd. (TRIFED), established in 1987,  is a national level organisation that functions under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, and is entrusted with empowering the tribal communities by facilitating and providing them assistance with developing and selling their native products. In addition, the national body comes up with strategies to make the tribal communities conversant with relevant technology and novel strategies with respect to the market development of tribal products, such as pottery, tribal painting, metal crafts, etc., simultaneously making way for capacity boosting. This significant role involvement of the organisation ensures that these communities are equipped with an adequate understanding of the specific skills to undertake an activity and bolster it in their own scope. The organisation explores ways that the the tribal products can thrive in the national and international markets, in the attempt to build a brand for them and also opening a door for the communities to create sustainable income for themselves by utilising the potential of their cultural heritage and resources.

About NEHHDC: Instituted in the year 1977, North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation (NEHHDC), strives to develop and promote the indigenous crafts of the region. Primarily, it provides technical and financial support to the craftspeople, weavers and local establishments and acts as a bridge between the artisans and consumers. To garner attention towards the tribal products and increase their accessibility, the organisation sources handicrafts and handlooms from the weavers and artisans and sells them in retail through their emporia called 'Purbashree', which is located in various cities namely- Kolkata, Shillong, Guwahati, Delhi and Bengaluru. Apart from this, Sales Centers, showrooms and exhibition centers are also set up to widen the possibility. NEHHDC also regulates production through artisans, cooperatives, or self-run production centers, in addition to promoting products in national and international exhibitions and managing policies to develop handicrafts, handlooms and other products pertaining to the categories.

Compiled by: Induja Tyagi & Kaushikee (Young Professionals, Publications Division)

Source: PIB