National Institutes for ST welfare

National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation

Objectives

1. To identify economic activities of importance to the Scheduled Tribes so as to generate self employment and raise their level of income.
2. To Upgrade skills and processes used by the Scheduled Tribes by providing both institutional and on the job training.
3. To make the existing States/U.T Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporations (SCAs) and other developmental agencies engaged in the economic development of Scheduled Tribes more effective.
4. To assist SCAs in project formulation implementation of NSTFDC assisted Schemes and imparting training to their personnel.
5. To provide financial support for meeting the working capital requirement of the Central / State government owned agencies for undertaking procurement and marketing of minor forest produces agricultural produces and other products grown/made or collected by the Scheduled Tribes.
6. To innovate experiment and promote rather than replicate the work of the existing institutions.

Schemes

Term Loan

Term loans are available to tribal beneficiaries for setting up their viable Income Generating Ventures in any of the sectors viz. Industrial, Agricultural and Service Sector. 

The loans are given based on requirement of the unit through State Channelizing Agencies. The beneficiaries have to full fill the eligibility criteria of the SCAs and comply with the terms and conditions of the lending by the SCA.

Unit Cost : Viable Projects/Units costing up to Rs. 50.00 lakhs

Quantum of Loan Assistance : Upto 90% of unit cost is provided by NSTFDC as term loan

Interest Rate

Repayment Period : The loan is to be repaid in quarterly installments within a maximum period of 5 years including moratorium period . In case of refinance, it will be linked to repayment period fixed by Banks.

Adivasi Mahila Sashaktikaran Yojana

This is an exclusive concessional scheme for the economic development of eligible Scheduled Tribe Women.

The loans are given based on requirement of the unit through State Channelizing Agencies. The beneficiaries have to full fill the eligibility criteria of the NSTFDC and comply with the terms and conditions of the lending by the SCA.

Unit Cost : Loan upto Rs. 2.00 lakh per unit.

Quantum of Loan Assistance : Upto 90% of unit cost is provided by NSTFDC as term loan

Promoters Contribution: Minimum promoter contribution may not to be insisted upon.

Interest Rate

Repayment Period

The loan is to be repaid in quarterly installments within a maximum period of 5 years including moratorium period. In case of refinance it will be linked to repayment period fixed by banks.

Adivasi Shikha Rrinn Yojana (ASRY)

This is an Education loan scheme, under this financial assistance is extended to eligible STs for pursuing professional and technical courses including Ph.D in India.

The loans are provided based on requirement of the unit through the State Channelizing Agencies. The beneficiaries have to full fill the eligibility criteria of  NSTFDC and comply with the terms and conditions of the lending by the SCA.

Micro Credit

This scheme is meant to provide small loans to the eligible Scheduled Tribes members of SHGs for undertaking Income Generation Activities.

The loans are provided based on requirement of the SHGs through State Channelizing Agencies. The beneficiaries/SHGs have to full fill the eligibility criteria of the SCAs and comply with the terms and conditions of the lending by the SCA.

Tribal Forest Dwellers Empowerment Scheme

Govt. of India has enacted the Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. Under this act, Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers have been given the right to hold the forest land for habitation and/ or for self-cultivation or for any other traditional activity for generating livelihood.

The objective of the Tribal Forest Dwellers Empowerment Scheme is to generate awareness, provide training to beneficiaries, give NSTFDC’s concessional financial assistance, assist in market linkage, etc. to the Scheduled Tribes Forest Dwellers for facilitating productive utilisation of land.

A Scheduled Tribe, who has received land right under the Forest Rights Act, 2006 is eligible for availing financial assistance under this scheme.

Assistance to TRIFED empanelled ST Artisans

Artisan sector is the second largest employer in the developing world, behind agriculture. That’s right: millions of people in developing countries around the globe participate in the artisan economy, practicing traditional crafts as a means to earn income and sustain their livelihoods. These numbers are exciting, and there are more where they came from. The global artisan economy is a $34 billion per year industry. Promisingly, countries in the developing world have a competitive advantage in this sector because of their rich cultural traditions, diverse artisanal skills, and unique raw materials. In fact, developing countries today account for 65 percent of handicraft exports around the world.

To facilitate the artisans across the nation NSTFDC provides concessional finance to tribal artisans empanelled with TRIFED for purchase of project related assets and working capital. The tribal’s can avail the benefits of the schemes and thus make a global presence of their products.

Marketing Support Assistance

INTEREST RATES : 

• Assistance to the beneficiaries through the SCAs : Interest rates on Marketing Support financial assistance is at par with rates of interest for term loan.
• Assistance to the Channelising Agencies/ Federations directly involved in procurement marketing: For the financial assistance availed by the Central/State/UT owned organizations/National level federations for undertaking procurement and marketing activities interest shall be charged by NSTFDC @ 7% p.a.

REPAYMENT: Repayment is fixed by NSTFDC based on nature/trade cycle of the activity.

Lending to NGOs/EVAs

NGOs/EVAs meeting the norms of NSTFDC are eligible to avail funds. Under the scheme, NGOs/EVAs may assist only Scheduled Tribe Self Help Groups (SHGs). These NGOs/EVAs can use the funds to enhance the livelihood of the Scheduled Tribes by various methods and thus help them to bring them to the main stream. The loan amount shall be utilized for income generation activities under Agriculture & Allied Sector activities like Dairy, Poultry, Poly-houses, Minor Forest produce, Piggery, Cultivation etc., service and industrial sector activities and working capital requirements.

Margin Money Support Scheme

Financial assistance of upto 15% of the project cost as Margin Money to meet the gap in Promoter's Contribution;

Interest rates chargeable:

Repayment period: 7 years with a maximum moratorium of 18 months.

Implementing agency: Through the implementing agencies of NSTFDC.

Source: National Scheduled Tribes Finance & Development Corporation

Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED)

Overview

Tribals constitute 8.61% of the total population of the country, numbering 104.28 million (2011 Census) and cover about 15% of the country’s area. The fact that tribal people need special attention can be observed from their low social, economic and participatory indicators. Whether it is maternal and child mortality, size of agricultural holdings or access to drinking water and electricity, tribal communities lag far behind the general population.

These indicators underline the importance of the need of livelihood generating activities based on locally available resources so that gainful employment opportunities could be created at the doorstep of tribal people. Recognizing this need for initiating such livelihood generating activities in a sustained and focused manner, the Ministry of Welfare (now Ministry of Tribal Affairs) established an organization to take up marketing development activities for Non Timber forest produce (NTFP) on which a tribal spends most of his time and derives a major portion of his/her income. In 1987, the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED) was set up with an aim to serve the interest of the tribal community and work for their socio-economic development by conducting its affairs in a professional, democratic and autonomous manner for undertaking marketing of tribal products.

As a market developer and service provider, the objective of TRIFED is socio-economic development of tribal people in the country by way of marketing development of the tribal products on which the lives of tribals depends heavily as they spend most of their time and derive a major portion of their income. The philosophy behind this approach is to empower tribal people with knowledge, tools and pool of information so that they can undertake their operations in a more systematic and scientific manner.
 
The approach involves capacity building of the tribal people through sensitization, formation of Self Help Groups (SHGs) and imparting training to them for undertaking a particular activity, exploring marketing possibilities in national as well as international markets, creating opportunities for marketing tribal products on a sustainable basis and creating a brand.
 
TRIFED's MSP for MFP & VanDhan program is in line with the "The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers ( Forest Rights Act, 2006 )", a key forest legislation passed for securing protection & livelihood of poor tribals and concerns with the rights of forest-dwelling communities to land and other natural resources.

TRIFED programmes

Retail Marketing Development :

The activity of marketing development of tribal products envisages TRIFED’s role as a facilitator, service provider and market developer. This involves exploring marketing possibilities in national as well as international markets, creating opportunities for marketing tribal products on a sustainable basis, creating a brand and skill upgradation & capacity building of the tribals. The ultimate objective of TRIFED is socio-economic development of tribal people in the country by way of marketing development of the tribal products on which the lives of tribals depend. In order to achieve its objective, TRIFED is marketing tribal products through its showrooms by the name of “Tribes India” Outlets and consignment showrooms in association with State level Organisations promoting handicrafts.

TRIFED has been undertaking sourcing of various handicraft, handloom and natural & food products from individual tribal artisans, tribal SHGs, Organisations/Agencies/NGOs working with tribals. The same is being sold through its Outlets and Exhibitions.

• Aadishilp: TRIFED has been organizing National Tribal Craft Expo “Aadishilp”, wherein tribal artisans/groups/organizations are invited to participate in this Expo and showcase their rich tribal heritage. The main objective in holding these events is to provide an opportunity to tribal artisans to showcase their ethnic crafts and to interact directly with art lovers to learn about their taste and preferences. This helps them in adapting their product designs and creations accordingly. It is an attempt to present tribal art and culture in holistic manner, which has been receiving encouraging response from all quarters.
• Aadichitra: TRIFED also organises Áadichitra’- an exhibition of tribal paintings, in which tribal paintings are exclusively displayed and sold. The tribal artists are also invited to demonstrate their art in these exhibitions. Encouraged by the response, TRIFED has been organizing such exhibitions at various locations across the country.
• OCTAVE: TRIFED participates in the OCTAVE - a dance festival of North Eastern Region, organized by Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India. TRIFED is associated with this event from 2008-09 onwards. TRIFED facilitates participation of artisan from North Eastern Region and provide them the opportunity to showcase and market their products.

Besides participating in various domestic exhibitions across the country, TRIFED also participates in international exhibitions/trade fairs through Export Promotion Council For Handicrafts (EPCH) and India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) in various countries for promotion of tribal products. 

Minor Forest Produce Marketing Development:

Forests form an intricate element of the social and cultural life of tribals, and it is estimated that in India, about 300 million tribal and other local people depend on forests for their subsistence and livelihood. India has an estimated diversity of 3,000 plant species from which NTFPs, generally  known as Minor Forest Produces (MFP). 

The forest dwellers are legally empowered with the ownership and governance of the MFP through PESA (Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, and the Forest Rights Act, 2006 .

Under Forest Rights Act, 2006, "minor forest produce" includes all non-timber forest produce of plant origin including bamboo, brush wood, stumps, cane, tussar, cocoons, honey, wax, lac, tendu or kendu leaves, medicinal plants and herbs, roots, tubers and the like.

Minimum Support Price (MSP) FOR MFPs:

To ensure fair returns to forest-dwelling  Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers and as a solution to problems they were facing such as perishable nature of the produce, lack of holding capacity, lack of marketing infrastructure, exploitation by middlemen, and low government intervention at the required time, the scheme, “Mechanism for marketing of Minor Forest Produce(MFP) through Minimum Support Price (MSP) and Development of Value Chain for MFP”  was formulated by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs as a measure of social safety for  MFP gatherers was implemented in 2013. 

To know more, click here.

Van Dhan Vikas Yojana

The Van Dhan Yojana or Van Dhan Scheme, a component of the  The ‘Mechanism for Marketing of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) through Minimum Support Price (MSP) & Development of Value Chain for MFP’  was launched on 14th April, 2018. Implemented by TRIFED as the nodal agency at the national level, the Van Dhan start ups is a well thought master plan for the socio-economic development of the tribal population of the country. 

To know more, click here.

Source: TRIFED