Officials along with the artisans during the Tribal Artisans Empanelment Mela (TAeM) programme held at the Directorate of Industries and Commerce, Kohima, on August 27. (DIPR Photo)
Kohima, August 27 (MExN): A Tribal Artisans Empanelment Mela (TAeM), organised by the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Ltd (TRIFED) under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, was held at the Directorate of Industries and Commerce, Kohima, on August 27.
Joint Director, Industries and Commerce, Hojeto K Suqhe, while speaking on the collaboration between PM Vishwakarma and TRIFED, appreciated TRIFED's initiative to recognise and support tribal artisans in Nagaland by showcasing their handicrafts and helping them understand market demand.
Highlighting the PM Vishwakarma scheme, a flagship Central scheme supporting traditional craftspeople, Suqhe said 2,000 artisans from Nagaland had been registered and trained in six trades.
He said the TAeM programme leveraged core trade programmes of the Ministries of MSME and Tribal Affairs by combining capacity building with market demand, enabling artisans to access nationwide market channels and secure sustainable livelihoods and wider visibility for regional craftsmanship.
Suqhe urged artisans to use the opportunity to expand their activities and access TRIFED's commercial network to facilitate direct sourcing of handicraft products from indigenous artisans without middlemen and other market constraints.
Senior Programme Executive, TRIFED, Asif Ekbal Hussain, said TRIFED's mandate was to provide livelihoods to tribal communities across India through various schemes and marketing platforms.
He said the nodal government departments implementing TRIFED schemes in Nagaland were the Department of Forest, DUDA, MARCOFED and Nagaland Beekeeping and Honey Mission.
Hussain said the Northeast had around 3,500 artisans out of 5,000 registered artisans across India and TRIFED was providing them a marketing platform through registration and direct engagement.
Once registered, a sample of the artisan's product is sent to a committee for quality checking, price assessment and evaluation of market demand before recommended purchase, he said.
He advised artisans to adopt wholesale pricing rather than high retail margins to secure bulk orders and promote cultural heritage. He also encouraged them to accurately calculate production costs to ensure profitability and avoid perceived losses during negotiations.
Registered artisans may also get opportunities to participate in national exhibitions, he added.
State Programme Management Unit, PM Vishwakarma, Suneptula Jamir chaired the programme and delivered the welcome address.
