Agartala, February 5, 2026: Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Shri Durgadas Uikey informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday that the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, through its two agencies—the Tribal Co-operative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) and the National Scheduled Tribes Finance & Development Corporation (NSTFDC)—is extending comprehensive support to tribal individuals across the country in the areas of livelihood, entrepreneurship and income generation.

The Minister said the Ministry is implementing the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission (PMJVM) through TRIFED to strengthen tribal entrepreneurship and create sustainable livelihood opportunities by promoting value addition in agriculture, minor forest produce (MFP), non-MFPs and non-farm sectors. Under the scheme, financial assistance of ₹15 lakh is provided to state governments for setting up each Van Dhan Vikas Kendra (VDVK), which functions as a hub for value-addition activities.

Since the launch of PMJVM in 2019-20, 495 VDVKs have been sanctioned in Assam with total funding of ₹7,425 lakh, benefiting 1,50,765 tribal members. Of these, 359 VDVKs are operational, reporting cumulative sales of ₹1,623.36 lakh.

TRIFED is also facilitating backward and forward market linkages for tribal artisans and suppliers by promoting a wide range of tribal products such as metal crafts, textiles, jewellery, paintings, cane and bamboo items, terracotta, pottery and organic food products through both online and offline platforms. In Assam, 1,087 tribal artisans and suppliers covering 9,543 families have been empanelled, and five Tribes India outlets have been established in Guwahati and Bongaigaon.

Under the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for MFP component of PMJVM, revolving funds of ₹66.94 lakh have been released to Assam. Against this, 191.11 metric tonnes of MFPs worth ₹102.41 lakh have been procured so far.

The Minister further informed the House that NSTFDC, a CPSE under the Ministry, provides concessional credit to eligible Scheduled Tribe individuals and self-help groups to promote self-employment and entrepreneurship. Its key schemes include term loans for projects up to ₹50 lakh, the Adivasi Mahila Sashaktikaran Yojana for ST women, micro-credit support for SHGs, and the Adivasi Shiksha Rinn Yojana for higher education.

In Assam, NSTFDC has disbursed loans amounting to ₹64.26 lakh to 64 beneficiaries over the last three years, the Minister added.