TRIFED
 Tribal
Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India
(TRIFED) is a part of the Ministry of Tribal
affairs, Government of India. It provides
a helping hand to tribals through the sale of their
products. TRIFED is aimed at ensuring economically
viable and profitable prices to the tribal community
for the tribal products they create. It was set up
after the multi-state cooperative act of 1987. Basically
it gives tribal people who are dependent on their
traditional, agricultural livelihood a fair share
for their hard work.
Tribals remain the most neglected section of Indian
society despite the government's best effort. It was
the aim of empowering them, bringing them into main
stream that in the year 1987, the Government of
India set up Tribal cooperative marketing development
federation of India (TRIFED), an organization
committed to fulfilling the needs of the tribal community
and contributing to their upliftment.
TRIFED pays specific attention to marketing requirements
of the tribal community for their forest and agricultural
produce. Informally, TRIFED is associated with imparting
of training to tribals especially the women and children.
The aim of TRIFED from its very inception has been
to serve the tribal community, as they constitute
a major part of Indian society.
The TRIBES Shop
 It's
a project towards empowerment of tribal people, physically
challenged people & organic farmers of India by
widening the market for their products. And also establishment
of chain of retail shops 'TRIBES'.
Tribal Co-operative Marketing Development Federation
of India Ltd., TRIFED has undertaken an ambitious
project of establishing a network of retail chain
of TRIBES shop. The first unit of this country wide
retail outlet has been launched in New Delhi at 9,
Mahadev Road, New Delhi - 110 001, India.
This network of outlets will enable tribal people
to gain access to metropolitan and other urban markets,
and also export markets, for their art, handicrafts
and other products. For consumers, the TRIBES shop
prescribe an opportunity to acquire authentic and
unique tribal artifacts, handicrafts, textiles and
other products.
 Apart
from the products of the tribal people, the TRIBES
shop would make available art, craft and utility products
produced by persons with disability also. The collection
of items from this sector would depict the creativity
and strength of the persons with disability.
The shop has a cool and calm entrance graced with
an array of potteries spread over the verdant green
patch of the ground. It's a perfect ambience for tribal
products. The products are a wide variety from cane
to metal, candles, bags and shawls, cloth, paper products,
knives, jewellery, organic food, spices. The products
are packed in paper bags, keeping the environment
friendly mantra in mind.
Organic food (food items grown without the use of
any chemical fertilizers, pesticides etc.), offers
a new way of healthy living. While the concept of
Organic food is developed in the West, the marketing
of organic produce in India is rather new.
The TRIBES shop would also make available the produce
from organic farms in India including the farms of
the tribal people. The Organic product line includes
a range of rice, pulses, wheat, honey etc.
and offers a choice to the consumers to switch on
to naturally grown food.
The products at TRIBES would reflect the colourful
and rich culture of the Indian tribal people - an
integral part of the country's heritage and creativity
and strength of the physically challenged people.
Some of these items are produced with inputs from
Indian Designers to make it unique and distinct.
Initially the TRIBES shop in the capital, fully funded
by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment,
Government of India, will function as TRIFED's
own unit. It is envisaged to promote this retail unit
into a countrywide network of franchises.
The product line of the TRIBES shop includes:
Authentic and unique Tribal products like Bell
Metal Craft, Textiles, Terracotta, Stone and Bead
craft, Tribal Musical Instruments, Iron Craft, Dhokra,
Bamboo Craft, Tribal Jewellery Unique art / craft
/ utility products made by persons with disability.
TRIFED has crossed all boundaries of prejudiced attached
to a governmental organization and has been successful
in making a mark in the sphere of tribal upliftment
and empowerment.
- Text and pics by Jyoti Narang
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10:34:40 AM 
