DIMAPUR: A Tribal Artisans’ Empanelment Mela (TAeM) was organised by the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Ltd. (TRIFED) under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, at the Directorate of Industries and Commerce, Kohima, on August 27.
According to a DIPR report, addressing the programme, joint director of Industries and Commerce, Hojeto K. Suqhe, appreciated TRIFED for its initiative in recognizing and supporting artisans of Nagaland. He highlighted the collaboration under the PM Vishwakarma scheme, noting that 2,000 artisans from the State have been registered and trained in six trades. He said the TAeM programme leverages core trade initiatives under the Ministries of MSME and Tribal Affairs, combining capacity building with market demand to ensure sustainable livelihoods and global visibility for regional craftsmanship.
Suqhe urged artisans to expand their activities for sustainable livelihood and to utilize TRIFED’s commercial network, which aims to identify, register and directly source handicraft products from indigenous artisans without intermediaries.
Senior Programme Executive TRIFED, Asif Ekbal Hussain, explained that TRIFED’s mandate is to provide livelihoods to tribal communities across India through schemes and marketing platforms. He informed that in Nagaland, nodal departments implementing TRIFED schemes include the Department of Forest, DUDA, MARCOFED and the Nagaland Beekeeping and Honey Mission. Hussain noted that the Northeast region accounts for about 3,500 of India’s 5,000 registered artisans and TRIFED is providing them direct marketing platforms.
He elaborated that once artisans are registered, product samples are assessed for quality, pricing, and demand before recommended purchase. He advised artisans to adopt wholesale pricing strategies to secure bulk orders, promote cultural heritage and ensure profitability. Registered artisans may also gain opportunities to participate in national exhibitions. The programme was chaired by State Programme Management Unit, PM Vishwakarma, Suneptula Jamir, who also delivered the welcome address.
