Bhubaneswar: Good news for denizens of the city looking for tribal products as Odisha's first 'Tribes India' outlet was inaugurated by Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram at Satyanagar in Bhubaneswar on Saturday.
Different kinds of tribal products including jewellery, handicrafts, handlooms and various home furnishing items made by tribal artisans from across the country are available in the showroom.
The store is an initiative of Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (Trifed), Ministry of Tribal Affairs of Government of India.
“Each and every item is too good. I liked the variety in designs and price range of different products here,” said a customer, Anishka.
On sidelines of the inauguration ceremony, Oram told mediapersons “Pottery, jewellery, handicrafts and clothes made by tribals will be brought to the outlet from as many as 27 states of the country and this will be the biggest centre in the eastern India.”
“The outlet would provide market linkage to tribal artisans for sale of their products,” he added.
“We have 99 such outlets in rest of the country and the showroom in Bhubaneswar is the 100th one. We have also planned to establish such showrooms in Puri, Cuttack and Rourkela. We are doing a business of around Rs 100 crore across the country,” informed an official of Tribes India.
The TRIFED’s 'Tribes India' outlet first started in the year 2001 with an expenditure of Rs 1 crore. It currently has a retail chain network of 89 outlets, 42 own outlets, 33 consignment outlets and 14 franchise outlets located across the country and has a turnover of more than Rs 100 crore.