THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 5, 2026

In a major push to expand market opportunities for traditional tribal artisans, the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) to strengthen the market access, product visibility and commercial prospects of artisans registered under the PM Vishwakarma Scheme.

The partnership aims to connect traditional tribal craftsmanship with TRIFED's extensive Tribes India retail network and digital marketplace, enabling eligible artisans to showcase and sell their products to a wider customer base across the country.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Dr Rajneesh, Additional Secretary and Development Commissioner, Ministry of MSME, and M Raja Murugan, Managing Director, TRIFED. Nitish Kumar, Deputy Director General, Danish Ashraf, Joint Development Commissioner, Ministry of MSME, and Prateek Singh Meena, Executive Director, TRIFED, were also present.

A key highlight of the collaboration will be the proposed launch of a dedicated "Tribes India–PM Vishwakarma Collection", which will showcase products crafted by participating tribal artisans through Tribes India retail outlets and its online marketplace, tribesindia.com, subject to sellers' consent and applicable policies.

Under the agreement, TRIFED will facilitate the onboarding and capacity building of eligible tribal artisans referred by the MSME Ministry, besides providing them access to its retail outlets and e-commerce platform. The federation will also extend support in product aggregation, quality assurance, packaging, photography and cataloguing to make the products more market-ready and commercially competitive.

The initiative will cover a wide range of traditional occupations supported under the PM Vishwakarma Scheme, including carpentry, metalworking, sculpting, goldsmithing, pottery, footwear making, basket and mat weaving, broom and coir making, doll and toy manufacturing, and garland making.

The MSME Ministry, on its part, will identify potential artisan-sellers, facilitate their participation in the programme, organise awareness workshops and coordinate with TRIFED to encourage product listings across different categories on the digital platform.

The collaboration is expected to give traditional artisans greater exposure to organised retail and online markets, while helping them improve product presentation, quality and packaging standards.

Launched on September 17, 2023, the PM Vishwakarma Scheme seeks to strengthen traditional artisans and craftspeople by improving the quality, reach and marketability of their products and services. It focuses on skilled workers whose craftsmanship has been preserved and transmitted across generations through the traditional guru-shishya system of learning.

TRIFED, under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, has an established product portfolio spanning tribal textiles, metal crafts, cane and bamboo products, organic foods, tribal paintings, jewellery and pottery. Its Tribes India retail outlets serve as an important platform for promoting the handloom and handicraft traditions of tribal communities from across the country.

The latest agreement marks a significant step towards integrating the traditional skills of tribal Vishwakarmas with established retail and digital marketing channels. By combining the MSME Ministry's artisan-support framework with TRIFED's marketplace infrastructure, the initiative seeks to transform traditional craftsmanship into sustainable livelihood and enterprise opportunities, while preserving India's rich indigenous craft heritage.