The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED), under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, to strengthen market access for eligible tribal artisans registered under the PM Vishwakarma Scheme. The MoU was signed in the presence of Dr. Rajneesh, Additional Secretary & Development Commissioner, Ministry of MSME; Shri M. Raja Murugan, Managing Director, TRIFED; along with Shri Nitish Kumar, Deputy Director General (DDG); Shri Danish Ashraf, Joint Development Commissioner, Ministry of MSME; and Shri Prateek Singh Meena, Executive Director, TRIFED. The collaboration brings together the Ministry of MSME’s PM Vishwakarma framework and TRIFED’s established Tribes India marketplace and retail network.
The PM Vishwakarma Scheme, launched on 17 September 2023, seeks to improve the quality and reach of the products and services of traditional artisans and craftspeople. The Scheme supports artisans whose skills are passed from generation to generation through the traditional guru-shishya model of training within families and informal groups.
Under the MoU, the Ministry of MSME and TRIFED will collaborate to facilitate the display, promotion and sale of products made by eligible tribal artisans registered under PM Vishwakarma scheme. The collaboration will cover product-based trades such as carpenter, metalsmith, sculptor, goldsmith, potter, shoe smith, basket, mat /broom maker/ coir weaver, doll and toy maker, garland maker, etc.
TRIFED will facilitate the onboarding and capacity building of eligible tribal artisans referred by the Ministry of MSME and provide them market access through the Tribes India retail network and its online marketplace, subject to applicable onboarding conditions and policies.
Products made by participating tribal artisans will be displayed through the Tribes India retail network and on tribesindia.com under the proposed “Tribes India–PM Vishwakarma Collection”, subject to sellers’ consent and compliance with applicable TRIFED policies.
TRIFED will facilitate aggregation, quality assurance and packaging support for market-ready products and will work with the Ministry of MSME to provide initial product imaging and cataloguing support to mutually identified sellers.
TRIFED will facilitate promotion of products made by identified tribal Vishwakarmas through its e-marketplace and provide dedicated display and sales space across its outlets, subject to the provisions and applicable terms of the MoU.
The Ministry of MSME will identify and facilitate potential sellers, encourage them to list products across different categories on tribesindia.com, conduct awareness workshops and support coordination between artisans and TRIFED.
TRIFED’s product portfolio includes tribal textiles, metal crafts, cane and bamboo products, organic foods, tribal paintings, jewellery and pottery, while its retail outlets showcase tribal handloom and handicraft products from communities across the country.
This collaboration represents an important step towards expanding the market visibility of tribal artisans registered under PM Vishwakarma by connecting their traditional products with the Tribes India retail and digital marketplace network. It will support product presentation, capacity building and broader market access for participating artisans, in accordance with the applicable terms and policies of the two organisations.